King Harald V of Norway announced that he will never step down from the thrown shortly after the Queen of Denmark abdicated.
On Tuesday, the 86-year-old-king was asked if he had any plans to abdicate following the surprising announcement by Queen Margrethe II.
The King answered: “I stick by what I’ve always said, that I swore an oath to the Storting (parliament) and it is for life.”
Harald, Europe’s oldest monarch, was speaking to a Norwegian press centre in Oslo with his son, Crown Prince Haakon.
King Harald of Norway said that he would not abdicate the throne.
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King Harald and his heir sat side by side during the interview laughing together as the King answered questions about giving up the throne for his son.
The Norwegian King’s health has led to speculation over whether he would follow in the footsteps of his 83-year-old distant cousin, Queen Margrethe.
Harald walks with crutches and has recently undergone heart surgery and been hospitalised for respiratory issues and infections.
The Queen of Denmark stepped down from the throne in less than a year after she underwent extensive back surgery.
In her New Years’ Day speech, Queen Margrethe said: “Time goes on, and the ‘diseases’ increase. You no longer cope with the same things as you once could.
“In February this year, I underwent extensive back surgery. It went well, thanks to the skilled healthcare staff who took care of me.
“Of course, the operation also gave rise to thinking about the future – whether the time had come to leave the responsibility to the next generation.”
When King Frederik X and his wife Queen Mary took to the throne, The King of Norway congratulated the pair.
King Harald sits with the Crown Prince Haakon.
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Queen Elizabeth II reigned until her death aged 96.
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Harald said: “My family and I wish to convey our warmest congratulations to you as Denmark’s new King and Queen.
“Her Majesty Queen Margrethe has followed her country and her people through times of joy and sorrow with warmth, wisdom and dedication.
“Now it is your turn to carry the legacy forward, and follow Denmark into a new age.”
However, Queen Elizabeth II of Britain never abdicated the throne and reigned until she died at age 96.
The late Queen performed royal duties and engagements throughout her 90s, although she appeared less in public amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
