# King Haakon VIII takes oath in Oslo as Norway opens a new reign
*Event date: 2026-09-01*
The first formal act of Norway’s new monarch unfolded in parliament in Oslo on Tuesday, when King Haakon VIII swore to uphold the constitution before the Storting. The ceremony marked the first major institutional step after the death of Harald V, who died last week and was succeeded by his son.
House Speaker Masud Gharahkhani read the official announcement of Harald’s death and Haakon’s succession before the king took the oath. Haakon, 53, then pledged to govern the kingdom in line with its constitution and laws. The setting underlined the ceremonial nature of the monarchy in Norway: the country’s royal family remains a visible national symbol, but day-to-day political authority sits with the elected government and parliament.
The king travelled the short distance from the royal palace to the Storting for the event. That came one day after Harald’s coffin was moved to the chapel at the royal palace, where it will remain for public mourning until the funeral on September 9.
Queen Mette-Marit did not attend the ceremony. According to the palace, she was advised to remain under observation after complications linked to her lung transplant in June. Her absence followed a public appearance on Monday during the coffin procession, which had been her first since taking on the title.
The transition comes in a monarchy with deep historical roots and a modern constitutional role. Norway restored its monarchy in 1905 after a plebiscite in which most voters backed reinstating a largely symbolic crown. Since then, the royal house has largely served as a point of continuity and soft power rather than as a center of political decision-making.
For Norway, the oath in the Storting is the first visible confirmation of continuity after a succession and a funeral period still ahead. For the new king, it begins a reign that is formally bound by constitutional limits but still closely watched as a national marker of stability.
The oath ceremony also arrived against the backdrop of a carefully managed public mourning period for Harald V. By moving the coffin to the royal palace chapel and scheduling the funeral for September 9, the court is giving the public time to pay respects before the official farewell. That sequence reinforces the monarchy’s ceremonial role in national continuity.
For Haakon, the moment is meaningful because the oath in parliament is the first unmistakable sign that succession has moved from announcement to constitutional fact. The king has taken the legal step that defines his reign, while the political system around him remains unchanged.
The sequence of events also helps explain how the palace is managing the transition. By opening the body to public respects before the funeral, the court keeps the process visible while avoiding any sense of abruptness. That orderly pace fits a monarchy that relies on ceremony, not political shock, to mark succession. For Norwegian institutions, the oath is the clean handoff; for the public, the funeral will be the next moment of national mourning.
