Norway’s new King Haakon to take constitutional oath Tuesday
COPENHAGEN, Aug 29 — The new king of Norway, Haakon VIII, will take his oath of allegiance to the constitution next Tuesday after the death of his father Harald V, reported German news agency dpa.
The date was announced to the broadcaster NRK on Friday by the speaker of the Norwegian parliament, Masud Gharahkhani.
The oath is mandatory for the new monarch and will take place in the parliament, known as the Storting, close to the Royal Palace in Oslo.
Haakon succeeds his father, Harald V, who died peacefully in an Oslo hospital on Friday morning at the age of 89.
The new king will take the oath at 1pm (1100 GMT) on Tuesday, and will also deliver a short address.
The Norwegian public will be able to watch the event live on television.
According to the parliament, the address will emphasise that the monarch’s power is limited and regulated by the constitution.
Norway no longer stages a traditional coronation.
Harald’s father, Olav V, introduced a new blessing ceremony in 1958, which Harald and his wife, Queen Sonja, continued in 1991.
A similar ceremony is expected this time.
The blessing is traditionally followed by a tour of Norway.
According to an unconfirmed media report, Haakon is set to deliver his first speech as king on Saturday.
So far, the royal house has merely stated that Haakon will deliver a live-broadcast speech to the Norwegian people “in the early days” of his reign.
