Why the new King of Norway won't have a coronation after his father’s death

Yesterday morning (28 August), King Harald V of Norway died at the age of 89. And his son therefore automatically became King Haakon VIII of Norway.

He will take an oath in the consecration ceremony on Tuesday but there won’t be a big glitzy coronation like we saw for King Charles here – it’s just not the tradition basically.

Europe’s oldest monarch, Harald was very popular and had refused to abdicate as he’d gotten older, remaining as king until his last breath.

When asked during a royal outing January 2024 if he would pass down the crown, he said: “I stand by what I have said all along. I have taken an oath to the Storting, and it lasts for life.”

In Norway, the royals serve a largely symbolic role, with the real power sitting with the elected parliament.

King Harald's consecration in 1991. (Bjørn Sigurdsøn / NTB / AFP via Getty Images)

But despite their popularity in the country, the fancy coronations simply just aren’t a thing.

There hasn’t been a coronation ceremony in Norway since 1906 – back when King Haakon VII and Queen Maud were crowned and anointed in Trondheim.

Article 12 of the Norwegian Constitution of 1814 established that the monarch was to be crowned and anointed in Nidaros Cathedral.

But in 1907, the Article was struck from the Constitution as the Storting (supreme legislature of Norway) voted by a large majority to repeal it.

The coronation ceremony had come to be regarded as undemocratic and archaic.

And so, when King Olav V succeeded his father in 1957, he had a far simpler consecration ceremony. This involved a benediction of the new monarch and doing a sworn oath before the Storting.

King Harald did this same tradition with his wife, Queen Sonja, in 1991.

So, rather than some big fancy coronation with the regal glitz and glam we’ve seen in London, King Haakon will have his consecration ceremony at Nidaros Cathedral.

The late King Harald with his son, now King Haakon. (Rune Hellestad/ Getty Images)

Taking the oath before the Storting, the new King will declare: “I promise and swear that I will govern the Kingdom of Norway in accordance with its Constitution and Laws; so help me God, the Almighty and Omniscient."

It’s expected that his wife, Queen Mette-Marit, will also be consecrated.

Again, a little different to what we see go down for our Royals here, the King and Queen of Norway won’t be donning any special ceremonial outfits or robes.

Plus, it’s thought there won’t be any foreign royals flocking to Norway to attend, the whole thing will be far more subdued than a big coronation.