Reason why King Haakon VIII and Queen Mette-Marit of Norway won’t have coronation following King Harald V’s death

Norway is mourning the death of King Harald V, who died earlier today (28 August), bringing an end to a reign that spanned more than three decades.

As Crown Prince Haakon Magnus prepares to become King Haakon VIII, many will be wondering whether Norway will hold a lavish coronation for its new monarch and his wife, Queen Mette-Marit.

The answer is no, and there’s a rather interesting reason why.

Unlike the UK, Norway does not have a coronation tradition for its monarchs.

The ritual was scrapped by law more than a century ago, just three years after Haakon VIII’s great-grandfather, King Haakon VII, became the country’s first modern monarch in 1905.

(Rune Hellestad/Getty Images)

King Haakon VII and Queen Maud were crowned at Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim in 1906, after Haakon, then a Danish prince, was offered the Norwegian throne when the country became independent from its union with Sweden.

Haakon and Maud were both crowned and anointed, but the grand occasion reportedly didn’t go down particularly well with Norwegian politicians.

Several MPs viewed coronations as a relic of pre-democratic times, particularly given the elaborate ceremony and religious symbolism involved.

Norway’s Constitution was later amended in 1908, effectively bringing the tradition to an end.

But that doesn’t mean the country skips marking the arrival of a new king altogether.

Haakon and his daughter, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra (Per Ole Hagen / Stringer / Getty Images)

When Haakon VII died in 1957, his son King Olav V opted for a much simpler ceremony at Nidaros Cathedral, where he received a blessing without being crowned or anointed.

When King Olav died in 1991, Harald V followed the same approach. The ceremony became known as a signingstradisjon, a form of consecration offered by the Norwegian Church.

Haakon VIII could now choose to continue that tradition following his father’s death, meaning there may still be a significant ceremony at Nidaros Cathedral.

There is also a constitutional requirement for Norway’s new monarch to take an oath promising to uphold the country’s Constitution and laws, with the help of an 'all-knowing and all-seeing' god.

Haakon and Mette-Marit share two children, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus. Haakon also became stepfather to Marius Borg Høiby.

Høiby, who has no royal title, was sentenced to four years in prison in June after being convicted of rape, assault and abuse in a close relationship. He was found guilty of two of four rape charges and acquitted of the other two. His lawyers said he would appeal.