Norway's King Haakon VIII to swear constitutional oath on September 1

Norway’s new King Haakon VIII will swear an oath of allegiance to the constitution next Tuesday, September 1. following the death of his father, King Harald V.

The date was announced to broadcaster NRK on Friday by Masud Gharahkhani, speaker of the Norwegian parliament, the Storting.

The oath is mandatory for a new monarch and will be taken in parliament, located near the Royal Palace in Oslo. Haakon will swear the oath at 1 p.m. local time (1100 GMT) and deliver a short address.

The ceremony will be broadcast live on television, allowing the Norwegian public to watch the proceedings. According to parliament, Haakon’s address will underline that the monarch’s powers are limited and governed by the constitution.

Norway no longer holds a traditional coronation ceremony. King Harald’s father, Olav V, introduced a new blessing ceremony in 1958, a tradition that Harald and Queen Sonja continued in 1991. A similar ceremony is expected to be held for Haakon.

The blessing is traditionally followed by a tour of Norway.

Haakon succeeded Harald, who died peacefully at an Oslo hospital on Friday morning at the age of 89.

An unconfirmed media report said Haakon is expected to deliver his first speech as king on Saturday. The Royal House has so far only said that the new monarch will address the Norwegian people in a live broadcast “in the early days” of his reign.

By Tamilla Hasanova