Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Det er en pige! - C'est une fille! - It's a girl!



Congratulations, til lykke and félicitations to the Schackenborg family on the birth of a baby girl this morning!

The official announcement on the royal website made by Prince Joachim's private secretary Kurt Bache.

The new little princess of Denmark was born at 8:27am on 24 January 2012 at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen. She weighed in at 2930 g (6 pounds 7 ounces) and is 49 cm (19 1/4") long. She joins older brothers Nikolai (1999), Felix (2002) and Henrik (2009) who will no doubt be as doting as can be. She is 10th in line for the throne. Papa Joachim was present throughout the birth.

Berlingske article with video of Prince Joachim making the announcement.



Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt released a statement:
"On behalf of the government, I wish Their Royal Highnesses Princess Marie and Prince Joachim and the entire royal family hearty congratulations for their growing family. It is a joyous event for the whole of Denmark that a new, little princess is born. The government wishes the whole family all the best in the future."

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Politiken's article on the birth includes a quote by the midwife that she's now going to go off and have a mid-day nap.

24th January was the day when Princess Marie and Prince Joachim became the parents of a new little princess.

"I am very relieved and thankful that everything has gone well and as it should," says Birgitte Hillerup, Department midwife at Rigshospitalet, who by now is an experienced royal midwife with seven births under her belt.

Princess Marie was thought to give birth later this month, but the Rigshospitalet birth team was prepared that it could happen anytime.

"We had prepared ourselves over the last few weeks and in the last few days the preparedness we pulled-out was extra large," says Birgitte Hillerup and continues:

"Princess Marie gave birth a little early last time, so we thought that she probably would do this again, which she did."

The heavily pregnant princess was hospitalised at four o'clock Tuesday morning, and altogether the birth lasted 6-7 hours without complications.

"The birth was well underway when she arrived, and it progressed at the pace you would expect from second-time mothers, and she opened about one centimeter per hour," says Birgitte Hillerup.

Mother and daughter are supposedly good, but are tired. And according to Birgitte Hillerup, they aren't the only ones who are.

"I'm going home to have a nap," she concludes.

The newborn princess is Prince Joachim's fourth child, but his first daughter. She is number 10 in succession, where she pushes Queen Margrethe's sister, Benedikte, out of the top 10.

The couple already have had Prince Henrik Carl Joachim Alain for over 2 years now.


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Another Politiken article with some lovely quotes from Joachim.

Prince Joachim looked so proud when he came down to the foyer at Rigshospitalet, as TV2 News' helicopter flew over this morning, since Princess Marie was hospitalised earlier today.

At 8:27am she gave birth to a baby girl, a princess, and then her proud father three times over came down to answer press questions.

"It's gone so well. What nobody thought possible, has happened. It's a daughter," said Prince Joachim, smiling and proud, with hands on hips and chest forward.

His little daughter, who remains hospitalised with her mother, measures 49 cm from head to toe and weighs 2,930 grams, she is dark haired and according to her father: beautiful.

"Given that she is beautiful, she must take after her mother," says the 42 year old father in the foyer, who also admits that he is a softie.

"It is always a poignant moment, and it is always very touching. You get - I get at least - moved to tears. Such was the case this time," he says.

Prince Joachim already has three sons, and so he responded to media curiosity that he is really happy to finally add a girl to a crowd of children.

"That, to get a wish fulfilled, an extra tick. One extra note in your diary," muses the prince.

"What is it exactly you are pleased with?" one asked.

"Having a daughter and not only sons," he replies.

"Do you need a fifth?" asks a reporter.

"Now, we'll just relax completely," says the protagonist challenging, and the press laugh.

"My daughter is only a half hour old, so we're taking it quite calmly," he says.

And as befits a journalist, one asked about the baby's name. When Crown Prince Frederik was at the same place last year and had twins, he replied that Prince Elvis might be appropriate to the boy, since the twins were born on Elvis' birthday.

His younger brother also has an answer ready. He says that his daughter must have a name of between one and five syllables.

"She can be named anything between Jo and Scheherazade," he said to the great amusement of journalists.

"How long did the birth take?", a journalist asked Joachim who resorted to a metaphor of an advertisement for Klovborg cheese.

"A birth takes as long as a birth takes," he says, thanking the birthing team and assessing his own performance - "I have the impression that I was both helpful nor did I stand in the way" - then slipped into an elevator.

Up to his two princesses.


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Lovely royal Danish names they can choose from include Margrethe, Dagmar, Louise, Caroline, Sophie, Amalie, Charlotte and Elisabeth - most of which work in both Danish and French! Françoise is Marie's mother's name, which very likely will make an appearance. Ingrid may also make an appearance for Joachim's beloved MorMor.

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