Norway's King Haakon VIII was formally sworn in before parliament in Oslo on Tuesday, marking the first major constitutional milestone of his reign following the death of his father, King Harald V, who passed away on Friday at the age of 89. Haakon, 53, became king automatically at the moment of his father's death at 6:35 a.m. on Friday, as Norway no longer holds coronations — the last was more than a century ago — making Tuesday's oath before the Storting, as the Norwegian parliament is known, the pivotal legal and ceremonial step of the transition.

Haakon was driven from the Royal Palace to the parliament building, a distance of roughly two kilometres, in a historic 1966 black Lincoln Continental convertible — the same car used at the wedding of his parents, then Crown Prince Harald and Crown Princess Sonja, in 1968, and again at Haakon's own wedding to Mette-Marit. Thousands of Norwegians lined the route to cheer the new monarch. Inside the Storting, Haakon pledged to govern Norway in accordance with its constitution and laws, and expressed hope of maintaining the close relationship his predecessors had built with parliament. A minute of silence was observed in honour of the late King Harald.

Notably absent was Queen Mette-Marit, who underwent a lung transplant in June and has since been recuperating under strict medical supervision. Her physician confirmed she is experiencing post-operative complications, noting that such complications are not uncommon following a lung transplant. The palace had previously announced she would take on no official duties for at least six months. In a striking illustration of the situation's urgency, the new king was photographed driving his wife to Oslo's National Hospital just hours after the ceremony, before returning to collect her later in the day. Present at the oath-taking were Queen Sonja — Harald's widow — as well as Haakon's children, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 22, and Prince Sverre Magnus, 20. Ingrid Alexandra, now first in line to the throne, signed her own oath to serve as regent if required, a role that will also see her take on a more prominent public profile.

Mourners have begun paying their respects to King Harald V, whose coffin is lying in state at the Royal Palace until 8 September, with the funeral scheduled for the following day. Harald had been Europe's oldest reigning monarch. Polls consistently show that a majority of Norwegians support the continuation of the monarchy, which today carries no political power but serves an important representational role for the country abroad.