Norway’s new King Haakon to take constitutional oath Tuesday

COPENHAGEN, Aug 29 — The forthcoming constitutional oath of King Haakon VIII is set to take place next Tuesday after the passing of his father, King Harald V, according to German news agency dpa. The announcement of the date was made to broadcaster NRK by the Speaker of the Norwegian parliament, Masud Gharahkhani. The oath will take place in the parliament, known as the Storting, near the Royal Palace in Oslo.

As the new monarch, Haakon VIII will succeed his father, Harald V, who peacefully passed away at the age of 89 in an Oslo hospital on Friday morning. The king will take the oath at 1pm (1100 GMT) on Tuesday and will also deliver a brief address. Norwegian viewers will be able to watch the ceremony live on television. The address is expected to highlight that the monarch's power is limited and regulated by the constitution.

Norway no longer conducts a traditional coronation ceremony. Following Harald V, King Olav V introduced a new blessing ceremony in 1958, which was continued by King Harald V and his wife, Queen Sonja, in 1991. The blessing will likely be conducted this time as well. Post-blessing, a tour of Norway is anticipated. An unconfirmed media report suggests that Haakon VIII will deliver his first speech as king on Saturday.

However, the royal house has merely confirmed that Haakon VIII will deliver a live-broadcast speech to the Norwegian public "in the early days" of his reign.