Prince Christian of Denmark
Encyclopedia
Prince Christian Valdemar Henri John of Denmark, Count of Monpezat (born 15 October 2005), is a member of the Danish Royal Family
. He is the elder son of Crown Prince Frederik
and his wife, the Australian born Crown Princess Mary
. He is a grandson of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
and her husband Prince Henrik
. He has a younger brother, Prince Vincent
and two younger sisters, Princess Isabella
and Princess Josephine
. He is second in the Danish line of succession, following after his father.
, the Copenhagen University Hospital, in Copenhagen
, at 1:57 am. He was healthy with an apgar score
of 10 (out of 10) after 1 minute. At birth, he weighed 3.5 kg (7.7 lb) and was 51 cm (20 in) long. At noon on the day of his birth 21-gun salute
s were fired from the Sixtus Battery at Holmen
in Copenhagen and at Kronborg Castle
to mark the birth of a royal child. At the same time, public buses and official buildings flew the Danish flag, the Dannebrog
. At sunset on the same day beacon bonfires were lit all over Denmark, while Naval Home Guard vessels lit their searchlights and directed them towards the capital. A few bonfires were also lit in celebration in Australia.
, a usually harmless illness and a fairly common one (especially in premature births). The first photographs of the then 3-day-old boy showed a yellow tinge to his face and hands. The prince was examined by doctors and underwent blood tests, then spent time in a light box under special coloured light rays to break down the bilirubin
substance which causes jaundice. His parents took him home again the same day and he made a full recovery.
Chapel by Bishop Erik Norman Svendsen. Christian has eight godparents. They are Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway
, Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway
, Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden
, Prince Joachim of Denmark
, Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece
, Jane Stephens and two friends of the couple, Jeppe Handwerk and Hamish Campbell.
His forenames all have a family significance:
He received a number of presents on the occasion of his christening, including a pony called Flikflak from the Folketing
, Denmark's national parliament.
. Since the 16th century, first-born sons of Danish monarchs have traditionally been alternately named Frederik and Christian; Queen Margrethe II
, while naturally interrupting this sequence, treated herself as a "Christian" for the purposes of alternation, coming between her father, Frederick IX
, and her son, Crown Prince Frederik
. Prince Christian will likewise presumably be known as "King Christian XI of Denmark" (following his great-great-grandfather Christian X
in that name).
The possibility Mary could be expecting a female child motivated Danish politicians to consider the possibility of adopting absolute cognatic primogeniture. Formerly Denmark's throne followed Salic law
; this was altered by the 1953 Act of Succession
, which introduced male-preference cognatic primogeniture, which gives daughters a place in the succession, but behind their brothers. This change allowed the present Queen to become heiress-presumptive and eventually inherit the throne. While the Crown Princess was still pregnant with Christian, the Folketing
began the lengthy process (which would need in the end the approval of two parliaments and a referendum
) to change the Danish constitution
to allow absolute cognatic primogeniture. The birth of a boy removed some urgency from this drive.
On 11 September 2006, Per Stig Møller
, Denmark's Minister for Foreign Affairs, formally wrote and signed a hand-written document confirming Prince Christian's place in the line of succession
. The prince's full name, his dates of birth and christening, and the names of his godparents were recorded as dictated by the Royal Law of 1799.
was in the process of purchasing new A319 aircraft; and in Christian's honour the first of these, delivered on 8 August 2006, was named Christian Valdemar Viking.
Louise of Sweden.
On 27 April 2011, it was announced that Prince Christian would begin his formal schooling at Trane Overgaard School in Gentofte
. He began his first day of primary school on 12 August 2011.
Christian was the first member of the Danish Royal Family, and first future Danish king, to attend nursery school. At the same age, the Crown Prince had a nanny at the palace. He is also the first member of the Danish Royal Family to attend a public state school.
Christian was the one who opened the elephant house by pressing a button on an interactive console. The elephants were a gift from the King
and Queen of Thailand
to the Queen and Prince Consort of Denmark on their last visit to Thailand. The elephant house was designed by Norman Foster and Partners
.
On 19 June 2010, he acted as a page boy in the wedding of his godmother, the Crown Princess of Sweden
, to Daniel Westling.
On 17 November 2010, he accompanied his mother and grandfather to the unveiling of a painting of Prince Ulrik of Denmark
at Rosenborg Castle
.
His official title in Danish is Hans Kongelige Højhed Prins Christian til Danmark, Greve af Monpezat
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Danish Royal Family
The Danish Royal Family includes the Queen of Denmark and her family. All members except the Queen hold the title of Prince/Princess of Denmark with the style of His/Her Royal Highness or His/Her Highness. The Queen is styled Her Majesty. The Queen and her siblings belong to the House of...
. He is the elder son of Crown Prince Frederik
Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark
Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, is the heir apparent to the throne of Denmark. Frederik is the elder son of Queen Margrethe II and Henrik, the Prince Consort.-Name and christening:...
and his wife, the Australian born Crown Princess Mary
Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark
Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat, is the wife of Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark...
. He is a grandson of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
Margrethe II of Denmark
Margrethe II is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of Denmark. In 1972 she became the first female monarch of Denmark since Margaret I, ruler of the Scandinavian countries in 1375-1412 during the Kalmar Union.-Early life:...
and her husband Prince Henrik
Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark
Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark , is the husband of the Queen of Denmark, Margrethe II.-Early life:Henrik was born in Talence, Gironde, France...
. He has a younger brother, Prince Vincent
Prince Vincent of Denmark
Prince Vincent Frederik Minik Alexander of Denmark, Count of Monpezat , is a member of the Danish Royal Family. He is the third child and youngest son of Crown Prince Frederik and his wife, the Australian-born Crown Princess Mary. He is also the sixth grandchild and youngest grandson of Queen...
and two younger sisters, Princess Isabella
Princess Isabella of Denmark
Princess Isabella Henrietta Ingrid Margrethe of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat , is a member of the Danish Royal Family. She is the daughter of Crown Prince Frederik and his wife, the Australian-born Crown Princess Mary....
and Princess Josephine
Princess Josephine of Denmark
Princess Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat , is a member of the Danish Royal Family. She is the fourth and youngest child of Crown Prince Frederik and his wife, the Australian-born Crown Princess Mary, and the seventh and youngest grandchild of Queen Margrethe II of...
. He is second in the Danish line of succession, following after his father.
Birth
Prince Christian was born on Saturday, 15 October 2005 in RigshospitaletRigshospitalet
Rigshospitalet - Copenhagen University Hospital, or simply Riget, is the national hospital of Denmark, located in the capital city of Copenhagen, between the streets of Blegdamsvej, Tagensvej and Nørre Allé...
, the Copenhagen University Hospital, in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, at 1:57 am. He was healthy with an apgar score
Apgar score
The Apgar score was devised in 1952 by the eponymous Dr. Virginia Apgar as a simple and repeatable method to quickly and summarily assess the health of newborn children immediately after birth...
of 10 (out of 10) after 1 minute. At birth, he weighed 3.5 kg (7.7 lb) and was 51 cm (20 in) long. At noon on the day of his birth 21-gun salute
21-gun salute
Gun salutes are the firing of cannons or firearms as a military or naval honor.The custom stems from naval tradition, where a warship would fire its cannons harmlessly out to sea, until all ammunition was spent, to show that it was disarmed, signifying the lack of hostile intent...
s were fired from the Sixtus Battery at Holmen
Holmen naval base
Naval Station Holmen is one of several naval stations of the Royal Danish Navy, supplementing the two Danish naval bases in Frederikshavn and Korsør....
in Copenhagen and at Kronborg Castle
Kronborg Castle
Kronborg is a star fortress situated near the town of Helsingør on the extreme northeastern tip of Zealand at the narrowest point of the Øresund, the sound between Denmark and Sweden...
to mark the birth of a royal child. At the same time, public buses and official buildings flew the Danish flag, the Dannebrog
Flag of Denmark
The national flag of Denmark, Dannebrog is red with a white Scandinavian cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side...
. At sunset on the same day beacon bonfires were lit all over Denmark, while Naval Home Guard vessels lit their searchlights and directed them towards the capital. A few bonfires were also lit in celebration in Australia.
Brief hospitalisation
Prince Christian was hospitalised briefly on 21 October 2005 because he suffered from neonatal jaundiceJaundice
Jaundice is a yellowish pigmentation of the skin, the conjunctival membranes over the sclerae , and other mucous membranes caused by hyperbilirubinemia . This hyperbilirubinemia subsequently causes increased levels of bilirubin in the extracellular fluid...
, a usually harmless illness and a fairly common one (especially in premature births). The first photographs of the then 3-day-old boy showed a yellow tinge to his face and hands. The prince was examined by doctors and underwent blood tests, then spent time in a light box under special coloured light rays to break down the bilirubin
Bilirubin
Bilirubin is the yellow breakdown product of normal heme catabolism. Heme is found in hemoglobin, a principal component of red blood cells. Bilirubin is excreted in bile and urine, and elevated levels may indicate certain diseases...
substance which causes jaundice. His parents took him home again the same day and he made a full recovery.
Name and christening
Prince Christian was christened on 21 January 2006 in Christiansborg PalaceChristiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace, , on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, is the seat of the Folketing , the Danish Prime Minister's Office and the Danish Supreme Court...
Chapel by Bishop Erik Norman Svendsen. Christian has eight godparents. They are Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway
Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway
Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway is the heir apparent to the throne of Norway. On birth he was named Prince Haakon Magnus but it was stressed in the announcement that he would go by the name Haakon. He became Crown Prince Haakon when his father ascended to the crown as Harald V in 1991...
, Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway
Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway
Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway , is the wife of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway.-Background and education:...
, Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden
Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden
Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland is the heiress-apparent to the Swedish throne. If she ascends to the throne as expected, she will be Sweden's fourth queen regnant .-Early life:...
, Prince Joachim of Denmark
Prince Joachim of Denmark
Prince Joachim of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, , is a member of the Danish Royal Family. He is the younger son of Queen Margrethe II and Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark....
, Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece
Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece
Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece, is the eldest son and heir apparent of Constantine II, who was King of Greece from 1964 to 1973....
, Jane Stephens and two friends of the couple, Jeppe Handwerk and Hamish Campbell.
His forenames all have a family significance:
- Christian is after his great-great-grandfather, Christian X of DenmarkChristian X of DenmarkChristian X was King of Denmark from 1912 to 1947 and the only King of Iceland between 1918 and 1944....
, continuing the Danish royal tradition of the heir apparent being named either Christian or Frederick. - Valdemar is after Valdemar IV of DenmarkValdemar IV of DenmarkValdemar IV of Denmark or Waldemar ; , was King of Denmark from 1340 to 1375.-Ascension to the throne:...
. It is also a common royal name. The Prince's uncle Joachim has Waldemar as one of his names. The Prince's cousin Felix, Joachim's second son, has Valdemar as one of his names. - Henri is after his paternal grandfather, Prince HenrikHenrik, Prince Consort of DenmarkHenrik, Prince Consort of Denmark , is the husband of the Queen of Denmark, Margrethe II.-Early life:Henrik was born in Talence, Gironde, France...
, whose given name is Henri. - John is after his maternal grandfather, John Donaldson.
He received a number of presents on the occasion of his christening, including a pony called Flikflak from the Folketing
Folketing
The Folketing , is the national parliament of Denmark. The name literally means "People's thing"—that is, the people's governing assembly. It is located in Christiansborg Palace, on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen....
, Denmark's national parliament.
Succession and the constitution
As the firstborn child of the heir apparent, Christian is second-in-line to the Danish throne; at the accession of Frederik or his premature death, Christian will become heir apparentHeir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
. Since the 16th century, first-born sons of Danish monarchs have traditionally been alternately named Frederik and Christian; Queen Margrethe II
Margrethe II of Denmark
Margrethe II is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of Denmark. In 1972 she became the first female monarch of Denmark since Margaret I, ruler of the Scandinavian countries in 1375-1412 during the Kalmar Union.-Early life:...
, while naturally interrupting this sequence, treated herself as a "Christian" for the purposes of alternation, coming between her father, Frederick IX
Frederick IX of Denmark
Frederick IX was King of Denmark from 20 April 1947 until his death on 14 January 1972....
, and her son, Crown Prince Frederik
Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark
Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, is the heir apparent to the throne of Denmark. Frederik is the elder son of Queen Margrethe II and Henrik, the Prince Consort.-Name and christening:...
. Prince Christian will likewise presumably be known as "King Christian XI of Denmark" (following his great-great-grandfather Christian X
Christian X of Denmark
Christian X was King of Denmark from 1912 to 1947 and the only King of Iceland between 1918 and 1944....
in that name).
The possibility Mary could be expecting a female child motivated Danish politicians to consider the possibility of adopting absolute cognatic primogeniture. Formerly Denmark's throne followed Salic law
Salic law
Salic law was a body of traditional law codified for governing the Salian Franks in the early Middle Ages during the reign of King Clovis I in the 6th century...
; this was altered by the 1953 Act of Succession
Danish Act of Succession
The Danish Act of Succession of March 27, 1953 was accepted after a 1953 referendum in Denmark and dictates the rules governing the Line of succession to the Danish Throne. The 1953 referendum changed the act so that it became possible for a woman to inherit the throne in the event that she has no...
, which introduced male-preference cognatic primogeniture, which gives daughters a place in the succession, but behind their brothers. This change allowed the present Queen to become heiress-presumptive and eventually inherit the throne. While the Crown Princess was still pregnant with Christian, the Folketing
Folketing
The Folketing , is the national parliament of Denmark. The name literally means "People's thing"—that is, the people's governing assembly. It is located in Christiansborg Palace, on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen....
began the lengthy process (which would need in the end the approval of two parliaments and a referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
) to change the Danish constitution
Constitution of Denmark
The Constitutional Act of Denmark is the Kingdom of Denmark's constitution, or fundamental law. Originally verified in 1849, the last revision was signed on 5 June 1953 as "the existing law, for all to unswerving comply with, the Constitutional Act of Denmark".-Idea and structure:The main...
to allow absolute cognatic primogeniture. The birth of a boy removed some urgency from this drive.
On 11 September 2006, Per Stig Møller
Per Stig Møller
Per Stig Møller was Culture Minister of Denmark. He has been a member of Folketinget for the Conservative People's Party since 1984, and was Minister for the Environment from December 18, 1990 to January 24, 1993 as part of the Cabinet of Poul Schlüter IV and Foreign Minister from November 27,...
, Denmark's Minister for Foreign Affairs, formally wrote and signed a hand-written document confirming Prince Christian's place in the line of succession
Line of succession to the Danish Throne
Denmark used a system of male-preference primogeniture until 2009. The male preference cognatic primogeniture was changed in favour of an absolute primogeniture...
. The prince's full name, his dates of birth and christening, and the names of his godparents were recorded as dictated by the Royal Law of 1799.
Christian Valdemar Viking
In 2006 Scandinavian Airlines SystemScandinavian Airlines System
Scandinavian Airlines or SAS, previously Scandinavian Airlines System, is the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the largest airline in Scandinavia....
was in the process of purchasing new A319 aircraft; and in Christian's honour the first of these, delivered on 8 August 2006, was named Christian Valdemar Viking.
Schooling
On 27 March 2007 Prince Christian started nursery school at Queen Louise's Children's House, located 35 km north of Copenhagen in Fredensborg where the Crown Prince family lives. Prince Christian walked inside accompanied by his parents and is having sessions there to aid his socialisation, according to comments made by his mother. The nursery school bears the name of Christian's ancestorAncestor
An ancestor is a parent or the parent of an ancestor ....
Louise of Sweden.
On 27 April 2011, it was announced that Prince Christian would begin his formal schooling at Trane Overgaard School in Gentofte
Gentofte
Gentofte Kommune is a municipality in the Capital Region of Denmark on the east coast of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. The municipality covers an area of , and has a total population of 68,913...
. He began his first day of primary school on 12 August 2011.
Christian was the first member of the Danish Royal Family, and first future Danish king, to attend nursery school. At the same age, the Crown Prince had a nanny at the palace. He is also the first member of the Danish Royal Family to attend a public state school.
Royal duties
Christian participated in his first official royal duty when he attended the opening of the new elephant house at the Copenhagen Zoo with his grandfather, Prince Henrik, who is a patron of the zoo, and who laid the foundation stone for the new elephant house in October 2006.Christian was the one who opened the elephant house by pressing a button on an interactive console. The elephants were a gift from the King
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
and Queen of Thailand
Sirikit
Somdet Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Borommarachininat , is the queen consort of Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand. She is the second Queen Regent of Thailand...
to the Queen and Prince Consort of Denmark on their last visit to Thailand. The elephant house was designed by Norman Foster and Partners
Norman Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank
Norman Robert Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank, OM is a British architect whose company maintains an international design practice, Foster + Partners....
.
On 19 June 2010, he acted as a page boy in the wedding of his godmother, the Crown Princess of Sweden
Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden
Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland is the heiress-apparent to the Swedish throne. If she ascends to the throne as expected, she will be Sweden's fourth queen regnant .-Early life:...
, to Daniel Westling.
On 17 November 2010, he accompanied his mother and grandfather to the unveiling of a painting of Prince Ulrik of Denmark
Ulrik of Denmark (1611–1633)
Prince Ulrik of Denmark, was a son of King Christian IV of Denmark and his consort Queen Anne Catherine of Brandenburg...
at Rosenborg Castle
Rosenborg Castle
Rosenborg Castle is a renaissance castle located in the centre of Copenhagen, Denmark. The castle was originally built as a country summerhouse in 1606 and is an example of Christian IV's many architectural projects...
.
Title
- 15 October 2005 – 29 April 2008: His Royal Highness Prince Christian of Denmark
- 29 April 2008 – present: His Royal Highness Prince Christian of Denmark, Count of Monpezat
His official title in Danish is Hans Kongelige Højhed Prins Christian til Danmark, Greve af Monpezat
Honours and decorations
- Commemorative 70th Birthday Medal of Her Majesty The Queen (Em.16.apr.2010.)
Ancestry
External links
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