Overview
- King Haakon VIII formally opened Norway’s 171st Storting on Friday, 2 October 2026, reading the government-written throne speech in the parliamentary ceremony.
- The palace said Queen Mette‑Marit withdrew hours before the event because of an acute respiratory infection, a risky setback during her roughly one-year rehabilitation after a June lung transplant.
- Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra accompanied the king at the ceremony and took on the visible role reserved for the direct heir, marking a clear step in the generational handover within the royal family.
- The activist group Dieselbrølet planned a noisy protest in Oslo to coincide with the opening and its leader expressed hope for several thousand participants, though reported turnout remained uncertain.
- The ceremony took place inside the short post‑funeral period for King Harald V., underlining that the constitutionally required royal duties continue during mourning and that the queen’s health will shape the crown’s public schedule going forward.