New King Haakon VIII swore an oath of allegiance to Norway‘s consititution in the parliament in Oslo on Tuesday, following him succeeding his father Harald V, who died last week.
This follows a day after Harald’s coffin was taken to the chapel of the royal palace, where it will remain for the public to pay their last respects until a funeral on September 9.
What happened in the parliamentary ceremony?
Haakon was driven the short distance from the royal palace to the Storting, or parliament in Oslo.
House speaker Masud Gharahkhani read the official announcement of Harald’s death and Haakon’s succession before the new constitutional monarch took the oath.
“I promise and swear that I will govern the Kingdom of Norway in according with its constitution and laws, so help me god, the almighty and omniscient,” the 53-year-old said.
Queen Mette-Marit skips event amid complications following lung transplant
Ahead of he ceremony, the palace said that Haakon’s wife Queen Mette-Marit would not be attending.
She had made her first public appearance since assuming the title on Monday in the coffin procession but is recovering after a lung transplant in June.
In a statement, the palace quoted Are Holm, a pumonologist at Oslo’s University Hospital, as saying that complications following a transplant are not uncommon and that Mette-Marit had experienced them on several occasions, including Tuesday.
“As a result, the Queen must remain under observation throughout the day. Unfortunately, the Queen will therefore be unable to attend the swearing-in ceremony at the Storting today,” he said.
What’s the role of Norway’s largely symbolic monarchy?
Norway’s royal family can trace its roots bak to the ninth century.
When the country regained its independence from Sweden in 1905, three-quarters of voters supported the idea of reinstating a largely symbolic constitutional monarchy in a plebiscite.
Most political power lies with the elected government and parliament, but Norway’s royals retain a predominantly soft power role in diplomacy and promoting the country around the world.
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Edited by: Elizabeth Schumacher
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