Norway’s Haakon VIII has sworn an oath before parliament in Oslo in the first major step of his reign as King. During Tuesday’s ceremony, parliament also held a minute’s silence for Haakon’s father, the late King Harald V, who died on Friday. Haakon’s wife, Queen Mette-Marit, was absent from the formalities as she continues to
He assumes his new role at a difficult time, as the royal family has faced health challenges and scandals this year. Mette-Marit came under scrutiny when it was revealed that she had had a three-year friendship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, for which she publicly apologised. She later received a lung transplant,
Haakon was ahead of his older sister, Princess Märtha Louise, in the line of succession. The constitution was changed in 1990 to give women the right to inherit the throne, so Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra is in line to be Norway’s first female head of state since the 15th Century. Haakon has become the king
At noon, the Norwegian Armed Forces honoured Harald with a funeral salute of 21 shots from Akershus Fortress in central Oslo. Later on Friday, a procession left the chapel at Rikshospitalet, where Harald died, and headed to the palace. Norway has declared a period of national mourning until the day of his funeral, which has
