The Oath of Allegiance underlines the fact that Norway is a constitutional monarchy, in which the power and authority of the monarch is limited and regulated by the provisions in the Constitution.

Article 9 of the Constitution states the following:

As soon as the King, being of age, accedes to the Government, he shall take the following oath before the Storting: “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 continues: If the Storting is not in session at the time, the oath shall be made in writing in the Council of State and be repeated solemnly by the King at the first subsequent Storting.

Until 29^th May 1990, the Storting was formally dissolved by the King before each summer recess. In 1990, the Constitution was amended so that the Storting now formally remains in session throughout the year. A parliamentary session of the Storting lasts twelve months from October one year to September the following year. Consequently, the second paragraph of Article 9 of the Constitution has less practical significance today, except in the event of national circumstances that might prevent the Storting from convening.

Since 1814, oaths of allegiance have been conducted in different ways depending on the constitutional and practical circumstances surrounding each succession to the throne. Outlined below is a summary of all the oaths of allegiance that have taken place since 1814.

Oaths of Allegiance since 1814

When Christian Frederik acceded to the throne at Eidsvold in 1814, he took his oath of allegiance before the Constituent Assembly. The oath that Carl XIII (who was to take the name Carl II in Norway) gave was read out in French by Crown Prince Carl Johan in the Storting at the sitting of 10^th November 1814. Prince Oscar (later King Oscar I) gave his oath in Swedish, while Carl Johan gave his oath in writing only when he became king in 1818.

The Storting was in recess when Carl Johan died in 1844. When it reconvened in 1845, King Oscar I attended the State Opening of Parliament. He delivered the Speech from the Throne during the sitting, and then repeated the oath he had previously given in writing at Stockholm Palace upon his accession.

When King Oscar died in 1859, he was succeeded to the throne by Carl IV, who attended the State Opening in the Storting the same year. Here, he restated the oath he had made in writing in Stockholm. The same practice was followed when Oscar II became king in 1872; he commenced his Speech from the Throne by reaffirming the oath he had made in writing.

King Haakon VII swore his oath in the Storting in person on 27^th November 1905. When Olav V succeeded his father in 1957, he swore his oath in the Council of State, but repeated it at the State Opening of the Storting in January 1958.

Following the death of King Olav V in 1991, King Harald V swore his oath before the Storting four days later, on 21 January. He spoke the following words:

“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.

Honourable President of the Storting! At this first meeting between the representatives of the people and me as King of Norway, I wish to express the hope that the good relationship that has existed between the Storting and my father, and before him my grandfather, be sustained and further developed in keeping with the challenges that will confront the nation in the years ahead.

The Queen and I wish to affirm that we stand ready to perform our duties in the service of the nation and the people. In this tradition, I, too, as King of Norway, have adopted the motto ‘We give our all for Norway’.”