The year 2012 has so far been a good one for the Danish Royal Family. Queen Margrethe celebrated 40 years as Denmark’s queen in early January. Later that month, she was able to celebrate once again, as her eighth grandchild was born to her second son Prince Joachim and his wife, Princess Marie. And on 5 February, her daughter-in-law and future queen, Crown Princess Mary, celebrated her 40th birthday.
Denmark’s Newest Princess
Prince Joachim and his wife, Princess Marie, welcomed the newest member of the royal family on 24 January, just 10 days after Queen Margrethe’s 40 year jubilee celebrations. The couple’s second child brings the total of royal grandchildren to eight and helps to even out the boy-girl count to 5-3.
Prince Joachim already had two sons by his former wife, Princess Alexandra (now the Countess of Frederiksborg), Princes Nicolai and Felix. He and Princess Marie married in 2008 and their first child, Prince Henrik, named for this grandfather the Prince Consort, was born in May 2009.
Princess Marie’s pregnancy was announced in August 2011. The 35-year-old princess is said to have given birth at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen without complications and with her husband at her side. The baby was born at 8.27 am, weighing in at 2930 grams. Denmark celebrated with a 21 gun salute and by flying the flag on official buildings on the day of her birth. The proud couple were able to bring their infant daughter home on 27 January, after holding an impromptu press conference with the numerous reporters camped outside the hospital.
Denmark’s newest princess not only joins her brothers, but her royal cousins as well. Queen Margrethe’s first son, Crown Prince Frederik and his wife, Crown Princess Mary, also have four children, Prince Christian, age 6, Princess Isabella, age 4, and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, age 1. The new princess is tenth in line to the Danish throne, after her brothers and cousins. In accordance with Danish Royal tradition, she will not be officially named until her christening which is expected to take place in a couple of months.
Crown Princess Mary Celebrates her 40th Birthday
Flags were flying in Denmark once again on 5 February when Crown Princess Mary celebrated an important birthday and turned 40 years old. To mark the occasion, she gave an interview to the Berlingske Tidende newspaper and posed for a series of official photographs at Amalienborg Castle. Crown Princess Mary was first introduced to the Danish people in 2001 as the Australian girlfriend of Crown Prince Frederik. The couple got married in May 2004 at Copenhagen Cathedral.
The Crown Princess is a popular member of the royal family who is especially admired for her fashion sense and charitable works. The occasion of her 40th birthday saw her face on magazine covers and newspapers all over Denmark. Birthday celebrations are extremely important in Denmark, especially the celebration of the so-called ‘round’ birthdays. The Crown Princess will have most likely endured a very traditional Danish birthday celebration, a party lasting most of the night with lots of speeches, toasts, singing and, of course, cake and drinks.
Coincidentally, Princess Marie’s 36th birthday took place on 6 February, just a day after the celebration of Crown Princess Mary’s 40th. Flags continue to fly in Denmark to celebrate its two popular princesses, each the mother of four heirs who are the pride of their grandmother, Queen Margrethe.
Sources
Kronprincesse af Danmark Interview, Berlingske Tidende, 5 February 2012 (in Danish)
Joachim and Marie Take Newborn Daughter Home, the Royal Forum
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