Mary is expecting twins

Photo © DR.dk

It has been confirmed by the websites of the Danish Royal Court and the Crown Prince Couple that Crown Princess Mary is expecting twins, due in January 2011. The Crown Princess will give birth at Rigshospitalet, where Prince Christian and Princess Isabella were born. It means Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik will become grandparents to seven. According to TV2’s reporter at Amalienborg (reported on the TV news), that it was a natural pregnancy. Because of Mary twins and the reporters already were speculating among themselves, TV2s reporter had asked the court whether it was a natural pregnancy and the court had said that, yes, it was a natural pregnancy.

Kongehuset press release
Kronprinsparret press release - translation:

The Crown Prince and Crown Princess expect twins

Amalienborg, August 6th 2010

There Royal Highnesses the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess have the great pleasure to announce that the Crown Princess is expecting twins.

The birth is expected to take place at the University Hospital of Copenhagen during the month of January 2011.

Lene Balleby
Communication Chief

Prince Joachim: It's magnificent "It is magnificent," Prince Joachim said, when Ritzau caught up with him at Københavns Rådhus (Copenhagen Town Hall) immediately after the Crown Prince and Crown Princess published that they await twins in January 2011.
"It is happy news you cannot get enough of. And with two it is happy news with double pleasure," reports Prince Joachim, who is a father of three princes.m
Joachim heard the news from Crown Prince Frederik at Gråsten Castle [last week], and just as Joachim rejoices over Mary's pregnancy, the happiness of the Crown Prince Couple is enormous. "I see great happiness in the Crown Prince Couple's feelings. It's always lovely when the family grows," the uncle-to-be reports.
Joachim participated in a press conference about the weekend's veteran car race in Copenhagen, when the court released the news about the Crown Prince Couple's twin pregnancy.

Berlingske Tidende
Billed Bladet - this week's Billed Bladet published a cover story saying Mary was ready for a new baby, obviously in view of rumours that Mary is pregnant.
Billed Bladet - 'Kronprinsesse Mary venter tvillinger' (there is a photo gallery with the story of the announcement)

Crown Princess Mary expects twins

06 August 2010 | Jan Bergman

Double happiness in the royal house - Mary and Frederik expect twins in January.

The happy news comes directly from the court that reports that the Crown Prince and Crown Princess expect two little ones to be born at the University Hospital of Copenhagen during January.
The Crown Prince Couple's two children - Prince Christian and Princess Isabella can now look forward to an incredible two new siblings in the little royal family.
For a long time the Crown Prince Couple have wished to have more children.
Crown Princess Mary is now 38, so a perfect time for a pregnancy now.
When the Crown Prince Couple have been asked about a family addition they have made it clear that it certainly would be lovely.
On several occasions they have talked with BILLED-BLADET about their dream, most recently at the Winter Olympics in Canada in February, when they were again asked: Will you still have a child?
"Yes, it has become a kind of tradition to inquire about it, and we answer as usual that that we have no comment to make," Crown Princess Mary said, hedging.
But it can presumably not be excluded that Christian and Isabella might have a little sister or brother?
"Nothing can be excluded, and nothing can be for sure," suggested the good-humoured answer from the Crown Prince.
At that time Frederik was probably not even aware of how much he'd prove right.
BILLED-BLADET wishes the Crown Prince Couple huge congratulations.

DR.dk
Politiken (in English)

TV2 - Første tvillinger i tronfølgen
This article says it is the first time, since absolutism was introduced in Denmark in 1660 that twins have been born into the (direct) line of succession.

Historical note from Muhler: Before then an heir had to be acknowledged. In theory anyone up until the introduction of Absolutism could be elected king or heir.
In reality it was a little more complicated than that. There were of course political considerations and the king was elected from a few families, who, through intermarriage throughout the centuries basically belonged to the same family line. This how there is of course a direct line from King Gorm the Old in the 900's up to the present Queen Margrethe.
One of the first things a king did when he had a son was to ensure that he was acknowledged as the heir, thus securing the succession and avoid civil war or bids for the throne from abroad.
That was a very serious issue for the first 500 years of Danish history. And there were quite a few rebellions, civil wars and assassinations - all basically within the same extended family.
The civil war in the 1530's, called: Grevens Fejde = The feud of the count, where the Reformation was introduced almost as an afterthought was a sobering experience.
But things didn't move that fast back then. By then the civil administration had become too large and too complex to move around with the king. The king was constantly on the move, taking care of all sorts of issue during his travels through his reign.
By 1600 or so, Copenhagen had become the de facto capital of Denmark with the central administration permanently based there.
And with the introduction of Absolutism in 1660 it was time to change the sometimes dangerous practice of acknowledging the heir. Now the oldest surviving son of the king automatically became the heir.
The interesting thing is that Frederik III, who introduced Absolutism in Denmark actually preferred a kind of parliamentarianism along similar lines as the English system. The ruling elite back then was pretty well informed and the pro and cons of Absolutism was very much debated. It wasn't all about power.
Frederik III, knew perfectly well that his power It is the first time, since absolutism was introduced in Denmark in 1660 that twins have been born into the (direct) line of succession.
Before then an heir had to be acknowledged. In theory anyone up until the introduction of Absolutism could be elected king or heir.
In reality it was a little more complicated than that. There were of course political considerations and the king was elected from a few families, who through intermarriage throughout the centuries basically belonged to the same family line. This is of course why there is a direct line from King Gorm the Old in the 900's up to the present Queen Margrethe.
One of the first things a king did when he had a son was to ensure that he was acknowledged as the heir, thus securing the succession and avoid civil war or bids for the throne from abroad.
That was a very serious issue for the first 500 years of Danish history. And there were quite a few rebellions, civil wars and assassinations - all basically within the same extended family.
The civil war in the 1530's, called Grevens Fejde = The feud of the count, in which the Reformation was introduced, almost as an afterthought, was a sobering experience.
But things didn't move that fast back then. By then the civil administration had become too large and too complex to move around with the king. The king was constantly on the move, taking care of all sorts of issue during his travels through his reign.
By 1600 or so, Copenhagen had become the de facto capital of Denmark with the central administration permanently based there.
And with the introduction of Absolutism in 1660 it was time to change the sometimes dangerous practice of acknowledging the heir. Now the oldest surviving son of the king automatically became the heir.
The interesting thing is that Frederik III, who introduced Absolutism in Denmark actually preferred a kind of Parliamentarianism along similar lines as the English system. The ruling elite back then was pretty well informed and the pro and cons of Absolutism was very much debated. It wasn't all about power.
Frederik III, knew perfectly well that his power base, like that of his predecessors, was townspeople and peasants, not the nobility.
But Denmark wasn't ready for a parliament [the Commons in England], so Absolutism was introduced. And after a number of serious issues during the next 50 years, it resulted in a system were the power was in the hands of civil servants. That had some disadvantages but Denmark was nevertheless at peace and prospered from 1720 until 1801, actually 1807, like that of his predecessors, Frederik III's base was townspeople and peasants, not the nobility.
(thanks Aus 73 and Muhler :) )

TV2 - Crown Prince Frederik father of four
The same info as elsewhere but says Queen Margrethe's cousin, Count Christian and Countess Anne-Dorthe af Rosenborg have now grown twin girls, Camilla and Josephine. There are no other twins in the families of any heirs. Apparently Princess Benedikte gave Frederik and Mary a bouquet when they married with four little tin soldiers, signifying the number of children they might have.

Bunte.de
Monster & Critics

Berlingske Tidende photo gallery of Mary's last appearance at Gråsten Castle last week
Se og Hoer gallery of recent photos


© Seog Hoer/Rene Schütze


The blog wishes Mary and Frederik congratulations and hopes for a healthy pregnancy.

Thanks commoner! and Muhler and Aus 73!

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