Queen Mette-Marit hospitalized, misses King Haakon's swearing-in

Queen Mette-Marit of Norway was hospitalized on Tuesday, September 1, due to complications from a lung transplant she underwent in June, preventing her from attending the swearing-in ceremony for her husband, King Haakon VIII. The new queen's health setback comes just days after the death of her father-in-law, King Harald V, on August 28. King Haakon took his oath of allegiance to the Norwegian constitution before the Storting, the country's parliament, on Tuesday morning. He was accompanied by his eldest child and heir, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, as well as his son, Prince Sverre Magnus, and his mother, Queen Sonja. The queen's absence was announced just hours before the ceremony. A statement from the Royal Palace, attributed to pulmonologist Are Holm, Head of the Department of Respiratory Medicine at the National Hospital, explained the situation. "It is not uncommon for complications to occur after a lung transplant. The Queen has had complications on some occasions since the operation, including today. As a result, the Queen must be observed throughout the day. The Queen will therefore unfortunately not be able to attend the swearing-in ceremony in the Storting today.