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King Haakon VIII of Norway looks on after swearing an oath of allegiance to Norway's constitution during an oath-taking ceremony in the Storting's main chamber in Oslo on September 1, 2026. [AFP]
Norway's King Haakon VIII took an oath before parliament on Tuesday, the first major institutional step of his reign, though his wife, still convalescing after a lung transplant, was unable to attend.
Dressed in a ceremonial uniform, the 53-year-old Haakon, who became king when his father King Harald V died on Friday morning aged 89, swore to abide by the Scandinavian country's constitution, under which the royals have a primarily symbolic function.
"I promise and swear that I will govern the Kingdom of Norway in accordance with its Constitution and Laws, so help me God, the almighty and omniscient," he recited in the parliament's main chamber.
