Haakon VIII Sworn In as King, Harald Lies in State
Norway's new king took the oath to the Constitution before parliament in Oslo while the body of his father, King Harald V, lay in the palace chapel ahead of a funeral on September 9.
Serbia sent condolences over the death of Norway’s King Harald V through President Aleksandar Vucic, just days before the late king’s son, Haakon VIII, swore the oath to the Constitution before the Storting, Norway’s parliament, on Tuesday, September 1, formally taking the throne after his father’s 35 year reign. In the official statement, Vucic pointed to Harald’s “stability, wisdom and dedication.”
Harald V died on August 28 at 6:35 a.m. at Rikshospitalet, the university hospital in Oslo, at the age of 89. The royal house announced his death the same day, at 8:35 a.m. The king had been admitted to hospital on August 17 with fluid retention, a side effect of the cortisone treatment he was receiving for hemolytic anemia. His condition worsened on August 24, when he began receiving antibiotics for a blood infection, and three days later, on August 27, the royal house described his state as “very serious.” Harald had reigned for 35 years, since January 17, 1991, when he succeeded his father, King Olav V. His son Haakon succeeded him the instant he died, as required under Norwegian succession law.
That evening, the coffin was moved from the hospital to the Red Room of the Royal Palace in central Oslo. More than ten thousand people, by some estimates, lined the streets of the capital with flowers, Norwegian flags and messages. Three days later, on August 31, the coffin, draped in the royal standard, was carried in procession by Harald’s children and grandchildren from the Red Room to Slottskapellet, the Palace Chapel, where it was placed for public viewing. The Crown of Norway and the royal sword were carried ahead of the coffin and then placed on top of it. The lying in state runs from September 1 to September 8.
The oath before parliament
Haakon VIII was driven the short distance from the Royal Palace to the Storting on Tuesday in an open car. There, the president of the parliament, Masud Gharahkhani, read the prime minister’s office’s official statement on Harald’s death and the succession before the new king spoke the oath.
“I promise and swear that I will govern the Kingdom of Norway in accordance with its Constitution and laws; so help me God, almighty and all knowing,” Haakon VIII said before the assembled members of parliament.
In brief remarks after taking the oath, the new king said: “At this first meeting between the representatives of the people and me as King of Norway, I wish to express the hope that the good relationship that existed between the Storting and my father, King Harald, my grandfather, King Olav, and my great grandfather, King Haakon, will be preserved and further developed in light of the challenges facing the nation in the years ahead.” Haakon VIII also took up the motto “All for Norway,” previously carried by his great grandfather, King Haakon VII.
Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, the first woman in Norwegian history to hold that title, attended the ceremony, as did Queen Sonja and Prince Sverre Magnus. Queen Mette-Marit was not present. The Royal Palace said the reason was doctors’ orders, due to complications following the lung transplant she underwent in June, complications that, according to the palace, recur for her from time to time, including that day.
“King Harald was easy to love”
In his address to parliament, Gharahkhani paid tribute to Harald as an “incomparably beloved and unifying monarch” who served the country for 35 years with courage and closeness to the people. “He was an unwavering defender of the Constitution and our democracy. For the Norwegian people he was a symbol of security, continuity and unity,” the president of the Storting said, adding: “King Harald was easy to love. That is why it is so unbearably hard to say goodbye.” His remarks were followed by a minute of silence, and the ceremony closed with the anthem to the royal family.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said the country was “united in grief and gratitude.”
Under Norway’s Constitution, taking the oath before the Storting is one of the most important acts of state tied to a royal succession. The practice has a long history: King Haakon VII personally swore the oath before the Storting on November 27, 1905, while Olav V did so before the Council of State in 1957 and did not repeat the oath before the Storting itself until January 1958. After King Olav V’s death in 1991, Harald V took the oath before parliament four days later, on January 21. Haakon VIII has now matched that timeline, swearing the oath four days after his father’s death as well.
King Harald V’s state funeral is scheduled for September 9 at 1 p.m. at Oslo Cathedral. After the service, the coffin will be carried in procession to Akershus Fortress, where the burial will be private.
