In January 1991, Norway was mourning its King. On the 17th January, King Olav V, the oldest of the European monarchs, died in the winter residence of the Royal Family, after some painful months, after thirty-three years of reign. Canon blasts and bell ringing announced the death of the much-loved King Olav, the second King of Norway after his father, King Haakon VII, born Prince Carl of Denmark and elected as the first king of the new independent country; the canons also announced the new reign which began in the same moment of the King’s death, the reign of the third King of Norway, Harald V, until then Crown Prince Harald. Just hours after the announcement of his father’s death, the new King presided over a Cabinet meeting in the Royal Palace of Oslo, where a court mourning of four months was decided, and after which the new sovereign gave a speech to the nation. King Olav’s body arrived to the Palace less than two days after and then began the lying-in-state, during which the Norwegians were able to pay their last respect’s to the deceased sovereign, grandfather of the nation.
On the 21st January, the new King was enthroned. The cortege of several cars left the Royal Palace of Oslo towards the Storting, where the King entered in full uniform of Army General, wearing the Order of St. Olav and the Order of Merit, accompanied by Queen Sonja, in a long black dress, with mourning veil. The King stood under the canopy, in the centre of the back wall, in front of the magnificent throne with the Norwegian coat of arms in red. The President of the Chamber presented the King the formula that he should read so that the enthronement would be accomplished, and the King swore the oath, before pronouncing a brief speech, in which he said:
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