What's in a name? Bets!!!

The anticipation of the christening of the newborn prince of Denmark is building. It will be at the Christiansborg Palace Church on 21 January 2006. In the meantime some strange things are happening.....

Left: The baptismal font to be used in the christening dates from 1671. Source: Rosenborg Castle Museum


Svend, Knud, Valdemar or Christian
Copenhagen, Denmark
10 January 2006 10:49

Bets are on for what name the newborn son of Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik will be given at his christening on January 21, reports said on Tuesday. The boy was born October 15 to Frederik and his Australian-born wife, Crown Princess Mary. Neither the royal couple nor the palace have disclosed the name of their son, but in line with tradition it is believed the newborn prince will be named Christian. A 100 kroner ($16,20) bet on Christian offers a return of 102 kroner ($16,50), online bookmakers Nordic Bet said. The little prince will likely have four names so punters can also hope to cash in on names like Svend, Knud or Valdemar that offer odds of 50, 15 or 2 to 1. Betting opportunities include whether the prince will cry during the christening ceremony (odds of 1,65 to 1) or be quiet (2 to 1), the free newspaper Metro Xpress said. The ceremony will be held in Christiansborg Palace Church in the Danish capital, Copenhagen. Frederik met Mary Donaldson (33) at the Olympics in Sydney in 2000 and they married four years later. -- Sapa-DPA

Source: Mail & Guardian Online

Meanwhile, it is reported that Mary's family will be travelling from Australia to Denmark for the christening. Mary's father John Donaldson and her stepmother Susan are already in Denmark teaching at the University of Copenhagen.
(Sources: The Sydney Morning Herald and The Mercury.)

In other news, Tasmania's plan to give a gift of a breeding pair of Tasmanian devils to mark the birth of the baby prince is to go ahead. Copenhagen Zoo's Science and Conservation director, Bengt Holst, confirmed it had an import permit allowing the devils to enter the country. They will arrive once their new enclosure is finished. Some
FAQ's about this devilish gift, or, if you prefer listen to a devil's screech 1 and 2.

Another 'interesting' gift of a Melbourne tram is currently on board the 'Mary Arctica' (launched by Crown Princess Mary last year) and travelling across the high seas from Melbourne to Copenhagen to be added to a tram museum in Denmark. We imagine it took a while to work out where to put that one!