King Haakon opened the 171st session of the Storting

The formal ceremony marks the beginning of a new parliamentary session of the Norwegian parliament, the Storting. It is also usually the only occasion during the year when the three branches of government are gathered in one place. Members of the Storting, the Government and the Supreme Court are all present when the King formally opens the parliamentary session.

King Haakon and Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra travelled in procession from the Royal Palace to the Storting, where they were welcomed by a delegation of seven designated Members of Parliament. The seven accompanied the King and his entourage for the duration of their time in the Storting building.

The Speech from the Throne and the State of the Realm

The Members of the Storting stood as King Haakon read the Speech from the Throne. The King delivers the speech on behalf of the Government and outlines its plans for the coming parliamentary term. That it is the Government’s speech is emphasised by the fact that the Prime Minister hands the speech to the King in the chamber.

The Speech from the Throne is followed by the “Report on the State of the Realm”. It is an unwritten tradition that this report is delivered by the youngest member of the Government. This year, Minister of Transport and Communications Kamzy Gunaratnam delivered the report. Unlike the Speech from the Throne, it is delivered in Nynorsk – a tradition dating back to 1932.

A First

This 171st session of the Storting is the first to be opened by King Haakon VIII. It is exactly 35 years since King Harald V opened the Storting for the first time: the 136th session, on 2 October 1991. And just as King Haakon has previously opened the Storting once, as Crown Prince Regent in 2020, King Harald had also formally opened the Storting once before – as Crown Prince Regent in 1990.