Haakon VIII took the oath before the Storting. Mette-Marit was absent from the ceremony

<ul> <li>Haakon VIII took the oath before the Storting four days after the death of Harald V.<\/li> <li>Mette-Marit did not attend the ceremony due to complications following a lung transplant.<\/li> <li>Ingrid Alexandra became first in line to the Norwegian throne.<\/li> <li>Residents can bid farewell to Harald V in the Palace Chapel until 8 September.<\/li> <li>Harald V's state funeral will take place on 9 September at Oslo Cathedral.<\/li> <li>72 per cent of respondents in a Norstat survey supported retaining the monarchy.<\/li> <\/ul>

On Tuesday, 1 September, Norway witnessed its first oath-taking by a new monarch in 35 years. Just before 1 p.m., Haakon VIII left the Royal Palace in an open <span class="highlight id_81514">car<\/span> and headed towards the Storting. Soldiers lined the route, while Oslo residents gathered outside parliament.

After entering the chamber, the king took the oath required by Article 9 of the Norwegian Constitution.

“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 Omniscient.”

These words were last spoken in the Storting in 1991, when Harald V ascended the throne following the death of Olav V.

Tuesday's ceremony did not mean that Haakon only became king that day. He automatically ascended the throne upon his father's death. The oath before parliament is a constitutional duty of a new monarch and confirms that he will exercise his office within the limits of the law.

After taking the oath, Haakon briefly addressed the parliamentarians. He spoke about the relationship between the monarchy and the Storting and expressed hope that the cooperation built during his father's reign would continue in the years ahead.

The new king retained the motto previously used by Harald V, Olav V and Haakon VII:

<strong>“Alt for Norge” — “Everything for Norway”.<\/strong>

Norway no longer holds coronations. The custom was abandoned more than 100 years ago, so Haakon VIII will not be formally crowned.

As late as Tuesday morning, the royal court had announced that Mette-Marit would attend the oath-taking. Shortly before the ceremony, however, it was announced that the queen had to remain in hospital.

The reason was complications following her lung transplant in June. Doctors decided that further observation was necessary. Are Holm, a lung disease specialist at Rikshospitalet, said that complications after such a procedure are not unusual, and that problems also arose on the day of the oath-taking.

Queen Sonja, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus were present at the Storting.

A change of monarch also means a change in first place in the line of succession to the Norwegian throne. After Haakon ascended the throne, his 22-year-old daughter Ingrid Alexandra became heir apparent.

On the same day at the Royal Palace, she took a written oath to the constitution. The document was then submitted to the Storting.

If Ingrid Alexandra ascends the throne in the future, she will be the first woman to reign in Norway since the Middle Ages.

While the ceremony was taking place in the Storting, people wishing to bid farewell to Harald V were already lining up outside the Royal Palace. The Palace Chapel opened to the public at 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

The king's coffin has been laid in state in Slottskapellet. The royal crown and the sword of state rest on it, while cadets from Norwegian military academies stand guard around the clock. The royal court expects more than 100,000 people to visit the chapel.

Harald V can be bid farewell to until 8 September:

<ul> <li>on 1 September, the chapel was open from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.,<\/li> <li>from 2 to 8 September, it will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.,<\/li> <li>admission is free,<\/li> <li>a security check is required before entry,<\/li> <li>photography and recording are not allowed inside the chapel,<\/li> <li>large bags may not be brought inside,<\/li> <li>prams must be left at the entrance,<\/li> <li>animals are not permitted, except assistance dogs,<\/li> <li>flowers and cards should be left in the designated area outside the palace, not in the chapel.<\/li> <\/ul>

Those planning to visit the palace should be prepared to queue, especially in the afternoon and at weekends.

Harald V's state funeral is scheduled for Wednesday, 9 September, at 1 p.m. at Oslo Cathedral. After the ceremony, the coffin will be transported to the royal mausoleum at Akershus Fortress. Harald V will be laid to rest there beside Haakon VII and Olav V.

Foreign guests, including representatives of royal families and state authorities, will come to Oslo. Police are preparing an extensive security operation. Road closures, traffic changes and disruptions to public transport are expected in the city centre.

The day of the funeral has not been declared an official public holiday. Employees should therefore not assume that they will automatically be given time off.

Employers, schools and universities may decide independently whether to allow employees and students to watch the broadcast of the ceremony. Companies have also been asked to limit noisy work during the ceremony.

Norway will remain in national mourning until the end of the funeral. Flags on government buildings will remain at half-mast. They will be raised to full mast after the ceremonies.

The change on the throne has not weakened support for the Norwegian royal family. In a Norstat survey conducted for NRK, 72 per cent of respondents supported retaining the monarchy. The figure was 64 per cent in May and 60 per cent in February.

In the same survey, Haakon received a rating of 8.8 out of 10. Queen Sonja received 8.9, while Ingrid Alexandra received 8.1.

Norway is currently experiencing two events at once: it is saying farewell to a monarch who reigned for 35 years and getting used to a new king. Haakon VIII has already fulfilled his first constitutional duty. Until 8 September, residents can bid farewell to Harald V in the Palace Chapel, and his funeral will take place the following day.

<ul> <li><a href="..\/aktualnosci\/kaplica-pogrzeb-i-przysiega-kluczowe-dni-dla-norwegii-30321.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chapel, funeral and oath. Key days for Norway<\/a><\/li> <li><a href="..\/aktualnosci\/norwegia-po-smierci-krola-haralda-te-zasady-dotycza-szkol-pracy-i-codziennego-zycia-30273.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Norway after King Harald's death. These rules apply to schools, work and everyday life<\/a><\/li> <li><a href="..\/aktualnosci\/haakon-viii-po-raz-pierwszy-przemowil-jako-krol-mowil-o-rodzinie-zalobie-i-przyszlosci-30291.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Haakon VIII speaks for the first time as king<\/a><\/li> <\/ul>