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Karl Johan Street and the Royal Palace on Contitution Day. Photo: Fredrik Varfjell / NTB scanpix
Karl Johan Street and the Royal Palace on Contitution Day. Photo: Fredrik Varfjell / NTB scanpix

The Monarchy Today

Norway is a constitutional monarchy. This means that the King is formally the head of state but that his duties are mainly representative and ceremonial. The legislative and executive powers lie with the country’s elected bodies. When the Constitution states that: “the executive power is vested in the King”, this now means that it is vested in the Government.