King Haakon VIII of Norway took the oath this Tuesday in the National Parliament as the new monarch of the Nordic country, after his father, King Harald V, passed away last Friday, after which he automatically ascended to the Norwegian throne.
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At the protocol events in the Storting, in a session led by the President of the Parliament, Masud Gharahkhani, the Norwegian monarch swore the oath as King of Norway “in accordance with its Constitution and laws.”
“I would like to express my hope that the good relations between the Parliament and my father, King Harald; my grandfather, King Olaf; and my great-grandfather, King Haakon, can be maintained and developed in line with the tasks the country will face in the future,” he stated.
“The Queen and I confirm that we are at your disposal to carry out our work in service of the country and the people. Following this tradition, I, as King of Norway, have also adopted the motto ‘All for Norway’,” he added in a brief session in which Haakon VIII was accompanied at all times by his daughter and Crown Princess, Ingrid Alexandra.
Gharahkhani highlighted the figure of Harald V, noting that he was an “unwavering defender of the Constitution and the Norwegian Government,” and for the people “he was a symbol of security, stability, and peace.”
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He referred to the late monarch as an “inclusive and approachable” king who “opened new paths.” “As Norwegian society changed, the king changed with us,” he said, emphasizing that “he chose love,” referring to his marriage to the commoner woman Sonia Haraldsen, of whom he claimed “she showed that the Royal House could enjoy life and the times without losing its essence.”
He asked the new monarch to “preserve the legacy” of his predecessors while the monarchy “evolves in line with the government of the people.” “Only then can it endure. His Majesty has now inherited the Kingdom of Norway,” he concluded, noting that the Norwegian Parliament has “great expectations” for the new head of state.
Although there is no coronation ceremony as such in Norway, on this Tuesday the capital, Oslo, was decorated for the new monarch’s event at the Stortinget, to which he traveled in a Lincoln Continental A-5 convertible, known for being the car used at his wedding to the now Queen Mette-Marit. In this vehicle, he traveled along one of Oslo’s most emblematic streets, Karl Johans street, which connects the Parliament with the Royal Palace.
The coffin of the late King Harald V was moved this Monday to the chapel of the Royal Palace of Oslo where it will remain until September 9, the date on which the official funeral will take place.
