OSLO — King Haakon VIII formally pledged to uphold Norway’s constitution Tuesday during his first major institutional ceremony as monarch, while Queen Mette-Marit remained absent as she recovered from complications following a lung transplant.
Haakon, 53, took the oath in the Norwegian Parliament after succeeding his father, King Harald V, who died Friday at age 89. Wearing a ceremonial uniform, Haakon promised to govern Norway according to its constitution and laws.
The king and lawmakers also observed a minute of silence for Harald, whose funeral will take place Sept. 9 at Oslo Cathedral before his burial in the royal mausoleum at Akershus Fortress.
Mette-Marit, 53, underwent a lung transplant June 17 and remained under medical observation Tuesday after experiencing complications, according to Are Holm, head of the Pulmonary Department at Oslo University Hospital.
Holm said complications can occur after transplant procedures and confirmed that the queen experienced problems on several occasions, including Tuesday.
The queen’s eldest daughter, Ingrid Alexandra, 22, attended the parliamentary ceremony as crown princess. She also took her oath in writing at the Royal Palace.
Thousands of people lined up Tuesday at the Royal Palace chapel, where Harald’s body lies in state ahead of the funeral.
Harald died while receiving treatment at Oslo University Hospital for hemolytic anemia, a condition that causes the rapid destruction of red blood cells. His health had declined in recent years, prompting him to reduce his official duties, although he had repeatedly ruled out abdication.
A poll published Tuesday by Norwegian public broadcaster NRK showed growing support for the monarchy after Harald’s death. Seventy-two percent of respondents said they supported the institution, an eight-point increase from a May survey.
The monarchy had faced declining support amid scandals involving members of the royal family, including scrutiny over Mette-Marit’s connections to convicted U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and legal problems involving her son, Marius Borg Hoiby.
Hoiby, 29, remains under house arrest while appealing a four-year sentence stemming from two rape convictions. He attended events surrounding Harald’s final days and received permission to attend the funeral.
Haakon will not receive a coronation because Norway abolished the practice in 1908. He could instead choose a consecration ceremony at Trondheim Cathedral, where Norwegian monarchs underwent coronations between 1814 and 1906.
