Guess who? it's Christian that's who!

Arrival at Fredensborg Palace

From Billed Bladet (no. 20, 18 May 2007) – Prince Christian received them:

“Oh, look who’s standing there,” exclaimed a smiling Queen Margrethe as she was on the way up the stairs at Fredensborg Palace and saw her little grandson inside in the hall. Grandfather was also pleasantly surprised, as well as uncle Joachim and the Swedish royal guests, non of whom had expected to be received by the little eighteen month old Prince Christian, who seemed completely at ease on the stage. Wearing a grey windbreaker and with a little fire truck clenched in one hand, he just quietly waited for all of them to come inside, not least his dad, who was probably the only one in the crowd who knew about the “reception plan”.

Prince Christian was naturally not all by him self in the hall. His mother stood right beside him and the moment the royals swarmed inside Crown Princess Mary lifted him up in her arms, so the Swedish guests could greet him.

Crown Princess Victoria was one of the first to grab Christian’s little hand, just as his grandmother was quick to give him a pat on the cheek.

Crown Princess Mary did not take part in the Swedish state visit due to her maternity leave, but when the royal guests arrived at Fredensborg she popped over from Kancellihuset and up to the palace to greet them. Besides Christian she had also brought her little princess, but she slept through the all the commotion, even though everybody loudly admired her.

While the Swedish royal couple and Victoria were shown their rooms at the palace, Mary and Frederik drove back to Kancellihuset with the children. In the car was also Prince Joachim, so the three of them had a cosy time before the family lunch at the palace.

In the mean time, the little princess and her big brother were left in the care of the nanny. Christian was in high spirits after having proved that all that stuff about receiving royals really isn’t that difficult. (by Anna Johannesen and kindly translated by Muhler)

1) Uncle Joachim helps deliver Mary, Christian and Lille prinsesse to the front door of the palace 2) Billed Bladet helps us out with a big red arrow just in case we miss him! 3) "hello" all round 4) official photo. Princess Benedikte, Prince Joachim and Crown Princess Mary were given the Swedish Order of the Polar Star, Grand Cross, Sweden (Sv.N.Stj.1.) by King Carl Gustaf.

And from Her&Nu (no. 20, 18 May 2007) – Together again:

If there are two who get along well together it’s the Danish Crown Prince Frederik and the Swedish Crown Princess Victoria. His mother and her father are cousins, and just like the parents, the two of them have known each other since childhood and been through thick and thin together. It was indeed a very fond reunion between Frederik and Victoria at Toldboden which brought back memories of seven years ago, when they met at the inauguration of the Øresund Bridge. So together during the official visit they chatted whenever possible, among other things about Frederik’s Lillepige and Victoria’s godchild Prince Christian.

Our Crown Prince Frederik is pretty used to having a pretty Crown Princess like Mary by his side to share duties as well as pleasures. The Swedish heir to the throne Crown Princess Victoria is still going solo when she is on official business, so for her it was something new to have a crowned colleague by her side during the official engagements with Crown Prince Frederik during the Swedish state visit to Denmark.
Victoria and Frederik complemented each other, carrying out their duties as perfect partners who took everybody by storm where ever they went, with lots of laughter and high spirits. This was especially so among the young atlethes from the integretion project Get2sport in Idrættens Hus (the House of Sports). Here the Danish-Swedish crown prince and crown princess were received as if they were international stars like the soccer icon David Beckham and his pop idol wife Victoria. Everybody wanted to take pictures of Frederik and Victoria with the cameras in their mobile phones. And the young gentlemen who had an opportunity for a little chat with good spirited Victoria had problems hiding the fact they found the Swedish Crown Princess very charming. (by Maria Vejen Jung and kindly translated by Muhler)

1) At the ballet, Princess Elisabeth, Countess Sussie and Count Ingolf of Rosenborg (Elisabeth and Ingolf are brother and sister and children of Frederik IX's younger brother Knud, so are therefore cousins to Margrethe, Benedikte and Anne-Marie) 2) Mary's first lady-in-waiting, Victoria Bernstorff-Gyldensteen, her husband was accompanying the Swedish royal guests during the visit 3) an old photo of Queen Ingrid at the wedding of nephew Carl Gustaf and Silvia Sommerlath in 1976, like Frederik and Mary, they met at the Munich Olympic Games 4) Queen Silvia places her bouquest below a portrait of the beloved Queen Ingrid 5) the two regent couples at the Town Hall in Malmö at the end of the state visit.