King Haakon VIII ascends the Norwegian throne

Following the death of King Harald V on August 28, Haakon has assumed the throne as King Haakon VIII of Norway. Rather than a traditional coronation ceremony, which was abolished by the Norwegian Parliament in 1908, the new monarch took an oath of allegiance to the Constitution of 1814 during a 17-minute ceremony before the Parliament in Oslo on September 1.

Princess Ingrid Alexandra, the heir to the throne, accompanied the King during the oath. Queen Mette-Marit was unable to attend the ceremony due to complications following a lung transplant earlier this year.

Despite the change in leadership, the royal couple is expected to continue residing at the Skaugum estate in Asker rather than moving into the official Royal Palace in Oslo. The palace serves primarily for state business and official duties, while Skaugum remains their private residence.