Norway’s new king swears oath in parliament, but one detail draws attention

King Haakon VIII took his first formal institutional step on Tuesday by swearing allegiance to Norway’s Constitution in parliament. Wearing a ceremonial uniform, the 53-year-old king pledged to govern according to the country’s Constitution and laws.

His wife, Queen Mette-Marit, was absent from the ceremony while recovering from a lung transplant performed on June 17. Are Holm, head of the pulmonary department at Oslo University Hospital, said complications after transplantation are not unusual and that the queen needed monitoring throughout the day.

The couple’s eldest daughter, 22-year-old Ingrid Alexandra, attended the ceremony as the new heir apparent. She was also due to take an oath, but submitted it in writing at the Royal Palace. Haakon and lawmakers observed a minute of silence for Harald.

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I promise and swear to govern the Kingdom of Norway according to its Constitution and laws. So help me God, almighty and all-knowing.

Harald’s funeral is scheduled for September 9 at Oslo Cathedral. He will later be buried in the royal mausoleum at Akershus Fortress. The public can pay its respects in the palace chapel until the day before the funeral.

Support for the monarchy has risen since Harald’s death. An NRK poll conducted over the weekend found that 72% of respondents supported the institution, eight percentage points higher than in May. Support had fallen to 60% in February amid scandals involving the royal family, including attention around Mette-Marit’s links to Jeffrey Epstein and the legal case involving her son, Marius Borg Høiby.

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Complications have occurred several times after the operation, including today. Therefore, the queen must be monitored throughout the day. For this reason, unfortunately, the queen cannot attend the oath ceremony.