King Haakon VIII to Take Oath as Norway's New King

King Haakon VIII is scheduled to take a constitutional oath before Norway's parliament, the Storting, on Tuesday at 1100 GMT, following the death of his father, King Harald, who passed away at the age of 89. This ceremony will take place in the 169-seat Storting chamber and is a crucial constitutional step in Haakon's accession to the throne, as Norway abolished traditional coronation ceremonies in 1908 in favor of parliamentary oaths.

Queen Mette-Marit, who is recovering from a lung transplant, is expected to stand beside King Haakon during the ceremony, similar to Queen Sonja's role during King Harald's oath in 1991. The King’s children, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus, along with Queen Sonja, are also expected to attend.

Public support for the monarchy has increased to 72 percent following King Harald's death, according to a recent poll. King Harald's coffin will lie in state at the palace chapel until September 8, with a state funeral scheduled for September 9 in Oslo, which world leaders are expected to attend.