Norway’s King Haakon reads greetings, that mourners have laid down in front of the Palace four days after the death of King Harald V., in Oslo Monday, Aug. 31, 2026. (Javad Parsa\/NTB Scanpix via AP)<\/small><\/p>\n
2026-09-01T11:13:53Z<\/p>\n
OSLO, Norway (AP) \u2014 Norway\u2019s King Haakon VIII<\/a><\/span> pledged an oath of allegiance to the country\u2019s constitution in parliament on Tuesday, an important symbolic step as he takes over at the helm of the Scandinavian country after his late father\u2019s 35-year reign.<\/p>\n Haakon became Norway\u2019s monarch when King Harald V<\/a><\/span> died on Friday at 89. He has adopted the motto \u201cAll for Norway,\u201d which dates back to his great-grandfather. <\/p>\n He was driven the short distance from the royal palace to the Storting, or parliament, in an open car. There, speaker Masud Gharahkhani read the official announcement of Harald\u2019s death and Haakon\u2019s succession. Haakon, 53, then took the oath.<\/p>\n \u201cI 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Norway\u2019s monarchy has old roots, tracing its origins to King Harald Fairhair in the ninth century. When Norway regained its independence from Sweden in 1905, three-quarters of voters in a national plebiscite approved restoring the monarchy. <\/p>\n Today, its role is largely symbolic as power lies with the elected government and parliament, but the country\u2019s royal family retains a role in promoting the wealthy nation around the world. <\/p>\n On Monday, Harald\u2019s coffin was taken to the chapel of the royal palace in downtown Oslo, where it will remain until his funeral on Sept. 9<\/a><\/span>. <\/p>\n From Tuesday afternoon until Sept. 8, the chapel will be open every day for the public to pay their last respects by filing past the coffin. The royal palace said in a statement that visitors aren\u2019t allowed to take photos or film inside the chapel, and that they can\u2019t leave flowers or other items.<\/p>\n