Norway's new King Haakon VIII takes oath in parliament

Norway's newly crowned King Haakon VIII took his oath of allegiance to the nation's constitution in the parliament building in Oslo on Tuesday. This followed the passing of his father, King Harald V, who had died the previous week. After Harald's coffin was taken to the royal palace chapel, where it would remain open for public viewing until a funeral on September 9, Haakon was escorted from the palace to the Storting, or parliament, in Oslo.

Prior to the ceremony, House Speaker Masud Gharahkhani read out an official announcement of both the king's death and his son's succession to the throne. Taking his oath, 53-year-old Haakon pledged, "I promise and swear that I will govern the Kingdom of Norway in accordance with its constitution and laws, so help me God."

The ceremony proceeded without Queen Mette-Marit, Haakon's wife, who had attended the funeral procession in a coffin on Monday but was recovering from a lung transplant she underwent in June. According to a statement from the palace, complications following the transplant are not uncommon and Mette-Marit had experienced such issues on multiple occasions, including on Tuesday. To ensure her health, she will remain under observation throughout the day and thus cannot attend the swearing-in ceremony at the Storting.