Lille prinsesse christening update

The little princess will be ten weeks old when she is christened on July 1

Her christening in the smaller and cosier Fredensborg Palace Chapel will be more intimate than Christian's larger christening which included "official Denmark" in recognition of his status as heir and future king. Nikolai's christening was in Fredensborg Palace Chapel in November 1999 and there were 154 guests. This christening will be more of a family affair than a state occasion

The little princess will have the same royal baptismal font as all other royal children in Denmark since 1671. The font which was made of silver and gilt by craftsmen in Hamburg is normally kept at Rosenborg Castle, the home of the Royal Danish Collections. It will be moved to Fredensborg Palace Chapel from Rosenborg

The little Princess is very likely to wear the family christening gown, also worn by Christian. It was ordered to be made for the christening of Prince Christian (b. 1870, later Christian X) by his mother Queen Lovisa, originally Princess of Sweden and married to Frederik VIII. The gown is made of Brussels lace and was ordered from Belgium. Queen Margrethe's grandfather Christian X was the first to be christened in the gown in 1870 and then Margrethe's father Frederik IX in 1899, Frederik's brother Prince Knud, then Margrethe, Benedikte, Anne-Marie, Crown Prince Frederik, Prince Joachim and Prince Christian. Prince Joachim's children Nikolai and Felix were christened in a new christening gown specially designed by Henrik Hviid* * Henrik Hviid also designed Alexandra's wedding dress for her marriage to Martin Jørgensen

According to a Lithuanian article here (thanks Jisma!) Crown Princess Mary's christening outfit will be a design by Lithuanian designer Juozo Statkevičiaus. In May Juozo Statkevičiaus was invited to Denmark to show Mary his work and do fittings for a few outfits. She had the little princess with her in a carrier during the meeting which he said was a very good designer-client meeting. Mary had remembered him from a fur exhibition in Copenhagen last year and he had given her a copy of his book at the time. This is also now reported by TV2 - Marys nye designer

TV2 reports the christening will (as we know) be a smaller christening than Christian's with a luncheon at the Chancellery House afterwards for family and friends. Frederik will leave after the christening for the July 2 beginning of the Farr 40 Open Nordic Championship in Hankø, Norway

The bishop of Copenhagen, Erik Norman Svendsen, will officiate at the christening. Bishop Svendsen married Frederik and Mary and christened Prince Christian. See TV2 - Norman Svendsen døber Lillepigen

The guest list will not be available until just before the christening, but Norway's Royal Court has published its calendar and Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit are attending the christening. They are godparents to Christian and Frederik and Mary attended the Oslo christening of their now 18-month-old son Prince Sverre Magnus

The Tasmanian Government will give the little princess a gift of custom-made jewellery symbolic of Tasmania, which is known as the Apple Isle. See The Sydney Morning Herald 'Jewellery gift to mark birth of princess' and news.com.au 'Gift of jewellery for new princess'

Some views of the christening gown and the baptismal font when they were exhibited after Christian's christening at the Amalienborg Museum. Museum curator Gerda Petri is shown arranging the robe and the font for the exhibit

Bishop Erik Norman Svendsen and Christian's christening at Christiansborg Palace Church:



What is in store this time? Queen Margrethe shed a tear at Christian's christening:

Click on the christening label below or go to the January 2005 archive to re-visit the many posts on Christian's christening