Denmark: Princess Marie has given birth to a girl

The Royal Court in Copenhagen announced this morning that Princess Marie, wife of Prince Joachim, earlier today, Tuesday 24 January 2012 at 8.27 a.m., gave birth to a girl at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen. The newborn princess weighed 2930 g and was 49 cm long. Both mother and child are doing well. The press release also told that Prince Joachim was present at the birth. Go here for Rigshospitalet's press release.

The birth was marked with a 21-gun-salute at noon and flags were flown from the public buildings.

Prince Joachim, the youngest son of Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik, is now the proud father of four children. He has 2 boys - Prince Nikolai and Prince Felix - with his former wife, now Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg - and a son, Prince Henrik, with his second wife, Marie. The names of the new princess will in accordance with tradition not be known until the christening. The name-guessing has already started! Well, as I have said on similar occasions earlier, I hope that the parents will find a call name (traditionally the girl will receive four names) that follow Danish royal traditions, but we might be taken by surprise again. As Prince Joachim said earlier today according to Berlingske, the princess "could be named everything from Jo to Sherezade"!

The newborn princess is tenth in line of succession to the Danish throne:

1. HRH Crown Prince Frederik (b. 1968)
2. HRH Prince Christian (b. 2005)
3. HRH Princess Isabella (b. 2007)
4. HRH Prince Vincent (b. 2011)
5. HRH Princess Josephine (b. 2011)
   
6. HRH Prince Joachim (b. 1969)
7. HH Prince Nikolai (b. 1999)
8. HH Prince Felix (b. 2002)
9. HH Prince Henrik (b. 2009)
10. HH Princess NN (b. 2012)
    
11. HRH Princess Benedikte (b. 1944)
12. HH Princess Elisabeth (b. 1935)

See also Peter Kurrild-Klitgaard's article Conditional Consent, Dynastic Rights and the Danish Law of Succession for a discussion on the rights of Princess Benedikte's children.