King Haakon VIII: Norway’s new monarch takes oath in parliament following the death of King Harald

London: Norway’s new king has taken an oath in parliament to formalise the start of his reign following the death of his father, as public support for the monarchy rises despite months of scandal.

King Haakon VIII promised to uphold the nation’s laws during a ceremony in Oslo that marked his first address to the parliament as monarch.

Norway’s King Haakon VIII takes the oath flanked by Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, in Oslo.Lise Åserud/Pool NTB via AP

Standing beside the king was his daughter, Ingrid Alexandra, a student at the University of Sydney who becomes Norway’s crown princess and heir to the throne.

Thousands of Norwegians have gathered outside the royal palace in Oslo to show their respect for the monarchy on the passing of King Harald, who died on Friday at the age of 89.

Scandals have overshadowed some of the ceremonies, however, given the public concerns about Haakon’s wife, Queen Mette-Marit, and her son, Marius Borg Høiby, who was sentenced in June to four years in prison after being found guilty of rape.

Høiby has appealed the conviction and was released by authorities this week to take part in some of the ceremonies, standing behind King Harald’s coffin when it was carried to the royal palace chapel on Monday.

Marius Borg Høiby, back right, was also allowed to attend the transfer of King Harald’s coffin through the royal palace to the palace chapel on Monday.Ole Berg-Rusten/Pool NTB via AP

He is also expected to be allowed to attend King Harald’s funeral next week.

While Høiby has no royal status, given he was born to Mette-Marit before her relationship with Haakon, he was welcomed as a member of the family and included in its events. He did not attend the ceremony in parliament on Tuesday.

Public concerns have also swirled around Mette-Marit after revelations of her friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, but she joined the procession on Monday. She did not attend the parliament, in a last-minute cancellation because she is recovering from a lung transplant in June.

Attention during the oath was on Haakon and Ingrid-Alexandra, both dressed in black as they stood in front of the 169 members of the legislature, known as the Storting.

Haakon took the solemn oath to govern Norway in accordance with its Constitution. Getty Images

Ingrid Alexandra signs an oath of allegiance at the Royal Palace, allowing her to serve as regent.Instagram

Ingrid Alexandra, 22, returned to Norway in June from her university studies in Australia and remains a student at the University of Sydney, where she began a three-year bachelor of arts degree with a focus on international relations and political economy.

While she cut short her time in Sydney to be in Oslo when her mother was recovering from surgery, she is studying at the University of Oslo on exchange from Sydney.

The new king was also joined by mother, Queen Sonja, and his son with Mette-Marit, Prince Sverre Magnus, 20.

Norway does not have a coronation for a new monarch and instead marks the start of a reign with an oath in the Storting, highlighting the primacy of the parliament. Unlike others in Europe, the Norwegian royal house was chosen by a committee of the parliament and confirmed by a popular vote in a referendum in 1905.

Haakon told the parliament he wanted the same “good relationship” with political leaders as his father, his grandfather King Olav V and his great-grandfather King Haakon VII, who took the throne in 1905.

He said he and his wife would serve the people of Norway.

“Norwegian parliament, I promise ​and swear to rule the Kingdom of Norway in accordance with its constitution and laws, so help me God the Almighty and All-knowing,” he said.

The coffin of late King Harald in Oslo on Tuesday.Fredrik Varfjell/Pool NTB via AP

The president of the parliament, Masud Gharahkhani, was joined by the full cabinet and legislators. Gharahkhani, who was raised in Norway after arriving as a child refugee from Iran, praised King Harald.

“Compassion was the core of his message in good times and tough times,” he said.

Support for the royal family has risen in the latest opinion poll by research firm Norstat for Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK), with 72 per cent backing the constitutional monarchy. Only 20 per cent favoured a republic and the rest were undecided.

Support for the monarchy was 64 per cent in May, when Høiby was found guilty.

The latest survey also asked Norwegians to rate members of the royal family on a scale of one to 10. It found King Haakon gained a score of 8.8, up from 8.1 in May.

The results confirmed Ingrid Alexandra has a high standing with the public, scoring 8.1, up from 7.5 in the earlier survey.

Queen Mette-Marit scored 5.2. The new king’s sister, Princess Märtha Louise, scored 3.5. She is controversial because of her marriage to an American self-styled shaman.

Prince Sverre Magnus, left, and Queen Sonja at the Oath Of Allegiance Ceremony.Getty Images

With Reuters

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