Danish Royal Twins Named and Christened

In line with Danish royal tradition, new offspring are not named or christened until three months after their birth. The names of the recently born Danish royal twins have finally been announced and their christening celebration conducted.

Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary have given four names to each of their babies - another Danish royal tradition. Their baby girl is Josephine Sophia Ivalu Mathilda and their son is Vincent Frederik Minik Alexandre.

Australian-born Princess Mary has managed to inject a little bit of Australia into her new daughter's last name with the Danish version "Mathilda" hinting at the popular Australian iconic song Waltzing Matilda.
More than 300 guests, including European royals and foreign dignitaries, packed Copenhagen's Holmens Church for the ceremony.

The twins names are expected to top Denmark's most popular baby names within a year. The same happened following the christenings of their brother Christian, 6, and Isabella, 3.

To see a photo of the royal couple and their babies prior to the christening - CLICK HERE.

To view a photo gallery of the Danish Royals at the christening - CLICK HERE.

The babies are obviously doing well, but reports indicated they "grizzled" during the service. Both Prince Frederik and Princes Mary looked proud and pleased and their two older children seemed very excited about the event. Princes Isabella came right up to the baptism font when her baby brother was being christened.

With two babies and one royal christening gown, there was speculation about how the royal couple would handle the dressing of their babies for the event. As luck would have it, another royal christening gown and bonnet belonging to Queen Ingrid was found during a palace stock take. This outfit was worn by Princess Josephine, while Prince Vincent wore the traditional Belgian lace gown.

How Aussie Mary met Fred

In October 2000, during the Sydney Olympic Games, Mary Donaldson, a public relations executive met a handsome, young man who introduced himself as "Fred". Little did she realize she was chatting to Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark. By the end of the evening, Mary was certainly aware that she had been chatting to the heir to the Danish throne.

During the next three years, Mary and Fred were often in each other's company in Australia and Denmark. In April 2003, Queen Margrethe publicly acknowledged her son's relationship with Australian Mary. This fueled rumors of a forthcoming engagement and before the end of 2003, a royal wedding had been announced.

Mary was required to fulfill a challenging series of requirements. Firstly, she agreed to relinquish her Australian citizenship. Next, she converted from her Presbyterian faith to the Danish Lutheran Church. She had to learn to speak fluent Danish. Most seriously, she was required to agree to give up her rights to the couple's children in the event of a future divorce. Mary went about these changes to her lifestyle with charm and grace.

"Today is the first day of my new role," she said after appearing on the palace balcony as Frederik's fiancée for the first time. "It is something that will evolve over time and I have much to learn and experience."

The couple married on 14 May 2004, Mary wearing a simple gown by Danish designer Uffe Frank. Her veil was one worn by Crown Princes Margret of Sweden in 1905. She retained a touch of "Aussie-ism" by combining Snow Gum (Australian eucalyptus) with flowers from the palace garden.

The Crown Prince and Princess welcomed their first child, Prince Christian Valdemar Henri John on 15 October 2005. Princess Isabella Henrietta Ingrid Margrethe entered the world on 21 April 2007.

Throughout her time as a Princess, Mary has always displayed a serene grace and has been taken into the hearts of the Danish population. 75% of Danish subjects have indicated she would be an excellent Queen. Her husband, Crown Prince Frederik is first in line to the Danish throne.

Danish royal twins to visit Australia

Crown Princess Mary has managed to retain her ties with Australian through her family who live in the island state of Tasmania. She has made several trips down-under since her marriage. Tasmanians allow her to enjoy her holidays there without very much hype. She also attended the wedding of her bridesmaid, Amber Petty, as a normal guest.

Although no date has been cited, it is likely that Princess Mary will bring the twins to Australia in the near future. Prince Christian and Princess Isabella have both been on holidays down-under when they were quite young.

Sources:

http://www.couriermail.com.au/entertainment/confidential/princess-marys-and-prince-frederiks-twins-names-revealed-at-christening/story-e6freq7o-1226039424489

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26579203-5012980,00.html

http://www.hellomagazine.com/profiles/crown-princess-mary-of-denmark/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary,_Crown_Princess_of_Denmark

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