Christian's first day wrap

Some more on Christian's first experience of day nursery. Frederik, Mary and Christian stayed for two hours together at the centre before leaving. Christian will be in a group of eight toddlers in The Sprouts room for the youngest group at the age-integrated centre. There has been extensive coverage in Danish and international news reports as one of those warm and fuzzy stories to make us all feel good! That was how it has been presented in TV reports in Australia, with Nine News referring to Christian as an Australian prince (how so??) and Nine News and Seven News using the the 'Kingaroo' epithet (only the Australian media seems to do this). If you check the TV2 clips in the previous post you might catch the one where Christian gives a smile and a little laugh after Mary kisses him on the cheek! The Kindergarten Cop (thanks santa!) has a purpose built mini HQ just outside the centre (see behind Frederik, Mary and Christian in the third photo below) and we can assume the next baby will follow in his or her brother's footsteps, so it will have plenty of use.

From Berlingske Tidende:

Prince Christian in “The Sprouts”

27 March 2007

Like so many other Danish children Prince Christian was today taken to the nursery by mum and dad.
The Crown Prince and Crown Princess went along on Prince Christian’s first day in the municipal institution Dronning Louise's Børnehus in Fredensborg – just a short walk from Kancellihuset, where the family lives.
Christain will belong to the room “Spiren – the Sprout” which is for the youngest children in the centre.
And just like for everyone else it was a big day for the small family that the firstborn should start in the nursery. Crown Princess Mary was dressed in jeans and a dark-brown coat that was open, so you could see her very obvious pregnant tummy.
The Crown Princess carried in her hand a small, lilac backpack in artificial material, that was less chic than her usual wardrobe. Wonder if there wasn’t clothes for the small Prince to change into [this was the Better Buddies backpack from the anti-bullying campaign recently launched by Mary].
Prince Christian was a bit slow on the legs today and stopped near the curb in order to assess the situation, presumably because of the many reporters who had showed up to capture the scene for posterity. With mum and dad holding each hand he was enticed to follow then up to the nursery, where Crown Prince Frederik picked him up while the family greeted the adults who will look after the Prince in the nursery.
Something however wasn’t quite as normal as in other day care centres. Prince Christian who is second in line for the throne, will be accompanied by a PET agent [security], each time he goes to the nursery.
Prince Joachim's and Countess Alexandra’s two sons have also been in municipal day care centres.
Prince Nikolai started in Møgeltønder Børnehave (kindergarten) in September 2002, where he too was taken by both mum and dad on the first day. Now Nikolai attends the private school Krebs Skole in Stokholmsgade in the one of the embassy neighborhoods in Copenhagen [which both Frederik and Joachim attended].
Prince Felix attends a municipal kindergarten at Sankt Annæ Plads (square) in downtown Copenhagen. (thanks for translation Muhler!)

Berlingske Tidende video clip (2:07) - here Mary says the chance to mix with other children is the reason he is starting at day nursery and that Christian will probably not attend every day, they will see how he goes (she speaks in Danish and English because she is asked questions in Danish and English)

From The Copenhagen Post:

The prince and the playschool

28 March 2007

The future king of Denmark met his subjects yesterday - as playmates at the local nursery school.
Prince Christian, second in line to the Danish throne, took his first wobbly steps as a man of the people Tuesday as his parents dropped him off for his first day of nursery school.
In addition to the friendly teachers at the Queen Louise Child Centre a host of national and international reporters were on hand to watch as Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary dropped off the 18-month-old prince at the local public nursery school.
Though attending a school named after one of his ancestors and being assigned a bodyguard may mean that Christian will never have quite the same experience as his playmates, his parents have emphasised that they intend to give their first born son as normal an upbringing as possible. But as he handed over his son, Christian's dad confirmed that might not be so easy - for either of them.
'He doesn't know what's in store for him. But then again maybe it's we, his parents, that need to prepare ourselves. The more prepared we are as parents, the easier he has it.'
Prince Christian's parents are expecting their second child in May so the timing, according to the Crown Princess, was practical, though she added she felt Christian was ready to get out and meet 'other children his own age'.
Despite the royal pedigree, [the head of] school Helle Zacho said Prince Christian had not skipped over anyone else on the waiting list - nor would there be any special treatment for their new charge.
'This is like being entrusted with any other child - except for the fact that we've had to add the word 'security' to our vocabulary.'CP

On arrival:


And departing, Frederik carried Christian and put him in his safety seat before they left:



From Denmark:
The municipal website Humbleborg.dk 'Prins Christian er begyndt i Spireren' (in Danish) 'Prins Christian begins in The Sprouts' and includes an MP3 link to an interview with the head of the centre Helle Zacho
TV2 article 'Lilleprins med madpakke' (in Danish) 'Little Prince with a packed lunch' and information from the head of the centre.
The centre Christian is going to does not supply lunch, so Christian will have a lunchbox in his backpack each day he goes to nursery school.
TV2 photo gallery
B.T. photo gallery

From Russia Pravda
From Germany Bunte Online (in German, click on the photo for the gallery)
From Australia, Hobart's The Mercury
From Sydney The Daily Telegraph

The Sydney Morning Herald:
Denmark's baby prince at nursery school

March 27, 2007 - 7:34PM
Prince Christian, second in line to the Danish throne, has joined dozens of other toddlers for his first day at a public nursery school.
The 17-month-old prince arrived at the Dronning Louise Children's House, north of Copenhagen, together with his parents, Crown Prince Frederik and Australian-born Crown Princess Mary.
After being greeted by nursery school staff, the family paused briefly for photographers before entering the building, which is surrounded by a playground.
They live in an annex of the nearby Fredensborg Castle, 35 kilometres north of Copenhagen.
Christian was born on October 15, 2005. His mother is due to give birth to the couple's second child in May.
Mary married Frederik two years ago in Copenhagen after meeting him in Sydney during the 2000 Olympics.
Frederik is Queen Margrethe's eldest son.
© 2007 AP DIGITAL