NordenBladet – The Crown Prince of Denmark had some help announcing the Royal Run’s new date, sharing the spotlight with his two youngest children, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine.
In a video shared on the Danish Royal House website and social media channels, Crown Prince Frederik and his twin children announced the new fall date for the Royal Run, which has been twice-postponed due to the coronavirus.
In the video, Crown Prince Frederik stated: “For almost a year, it has been a condition for all of us that we have had to change our plans and our dreams. This has also been the case for the Royal Run. Twice before we have postponed the race and we must once again admit that it is not is realistic to complete the planned exercise party with over 70,000 people in the month of May, so it has been decided to postpone the Royal Run once again until Sunday 12 September, where we hope that it is again possible to gather so many people for a running party.”
Interspersed with Crown Prince Frederik’s announcement is footage of the trio running around the snow-covered grounds of Fredensborg Palace, where they’re currently residing, training for this fall’s race.
In a statement posted on the Danish Royal House’s website, Crown Prince Frederick elaborated, “In the meantime, we need to make sure to keep body and soul going. Especially right now in the dark period – it provides profit and well-being.
“So I hope that many of you will spend the time until September 12th to maintain the joy of exercise and running that Royal Run has already brought with it.”
NordenBladet – The Danish Royal House has released four new official images to mark Prince Christian’s 15th birthday. The photos were taken by Franne Voigt who has taken many images of the family over the years.
The Prince bears a striking resemblance to his father, Crown Prince Frederik, in the portraits shared; however, his smile is very much like his mother, Crown Princess Mary.
Prince Christian, who is second in line to the Danish throne, will one day be the King of Denmark. He was born as Prince Christian Valdemar Henri John on 15 October 2005 as the first child of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark. He was born at Rigshospitalet at 1.57 am. He has three younger siblings: Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine.
His given name Christian also follows tradition as Danish kings have had their names alternate between Frederik and Christian throughout the years. His middle name Henri is the French version and original name of his paternal grandfather, the now late Prince Henrik; additionally, it is the male form of his late maternal grandmother’s name (Henrietta Donaldson died when Crown Princess Mary was 25). The name John comes from his maternal grandfather.
Prince Christian was due to have his confirmation into the Church of Denmark this year; however, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused this to be postponed. It is expected to eventually take place at Chapel of Fredensborg Palace where his father and paternal grandmother, Queen Margrethe were each confirmed.
A look at Denmark’s future king as he turns 15
Prince Christian Valdemar Henri John came into the world on 15 October 2005 as the first child of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark. He was born at Rigshospitalet at 1.57 am and has been second in line to the Danish throne since birth.
As the heir to the throne, a 21-gun salute marked his birth at noon and bonfires were lit in both Denmark and Australia – the latter of which is his mother’s home country. His first few days caused some worry for his parents, and he was hospitalised on 21 October due to neonatal jaundice. Photos of the unnamed prince were released that day that showed him with a yellow tint to his tiny hands and face. After blood tests and time under special coloured light rays, the newborn was cleared to go home that same day.
His christening took place on 21 January 2006 with Prince Joachim of Denmark, his paternal uncle; Jane Stephens, his maternal aunt; Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden; Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway; Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece, his father’s first cousin; Jeppe Handwerk and Hamish Campbell, friends of his parents, serving as his godparents. Keeping with Danish royal tradition, his names were not announced until his christening took place.
His given name Christian also follows tradition as Danish kings have had their names alternate between Frederik and Christian throughout the years. His middle name Henri is the French version and original name of his paternal grandfather, the now late Prince Henrik; additionally, it is the male form of his late maternal grandmother’s name (Henrietta Donaldson died when Crown Princess Mary was 25). The name John comes from his maternal grandfather.
The Prince was the first Danish royal to attend nursery school and the first to attend a public state school – Tranegårdskolen – which he began in August 2011. He attends school there alongside his three siblings: Princess Isabella (b. 2007), Prince Vincent (b. 2011), and Princess Josephine (b. 2011).
He is fluent in Danish and his mother’s native English. He and his family alternate Christmases in Denmark and Australia so that the children get to spend as much time as possible with their maternal family.
Prince Christian was due to have his confirmation into the Church of Denmark this year; however, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused this to be postponed. It is expected to eventually take place at Chapel of Fredensborg Palace where his father and paternal grandmother, Queen Margrethe were each confirmed.
The Crown Prince Couple have worked hard to allow their children time to have a private life. Christian has accompanied his parents on some engagements, including a tour of Greenland, but the teenager has yet to make any type of public speech to the Danish public. It is expected that he will address the public in the coming years as he continues to prepare for his future role.
NordenBladet – Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel are passionate about staying fit and encouraging others to stay in shape. They find it especially important that children get up and move and not just stay inside in front of a screen all day.
Through their initiative Gen Pep and Rädda Barnen (Save the Children), the platform “Digifritids” was created for children in the lower and middle school age brackets. Digifritids has jigsaw tips, games, workout films for children and families to take part in.
The Crown Princess Couple founded Gen Pep, a non-profit organisation, to encourage children and young people in Sweden to “have the ability and desire to live an active and healthy life.” The organisation also spreads information to assist young people in finding information on living a healthy life.
In the Instagram video on Gen Pep’s feed, the Crown Princess Family is seen in their Haga Palace home. There, Princess Estelle says that she is bored and asks the family to come up with something to do. Prince Daniel asks her, “Are you tired of just sitting here?”
The Crown Princess then asks Estelle, 8, for suggestions, and Estelle pulls up Digifritids on the laptop nearby. Four-year-old Prince Oscar then helps select a video on the screen showing an activity where one person is in a push-up position while another crawls under them before hopping back over them.
Prince Daniel is then seen on the floor with Prince Oscar on his back while Princess Estelle crawls under him and then hops over him and her brother. Crown Princess Victoria watches on as her husband and two kids fall to the ground laughing.
NordenBladet – The Norwegian Royal Family has revealed its plans for the summer. A spokesperson for the Royal Court told the state run Norwegian TV channel, NRK, that the family will spend their holidays in Norway because of the coronavirus pandemic. King Harald and Queen Sonja will be at their country house on Mågerø, while Crown Prince Haakon and his family will be vacationing in the southern part of the country. The Royal Family will also spend time aboard the Royal Yacht.
The Crown Prince and his family will probably stay at the villa “Vogt”. It became known in April that the municipality of Kristiansand, where Crown Princess Mette-Marit grew up, has unanimously agreed to rent out the villa and the surrounding area to the Crown Prince couple for another five new years.
The family has already rented the villa for the past ten years and used the property sporadically, mainly in the summer. As a tenant, the Crown Prince couple has paid each year just over NOK 200,000, about USD 20,000, to rent the property, which includes both a villa, two boat-places and a 22-acre site.
King Harald and Queen Sonja will have the opportunity to visit their son, daughter in law and grandchildren there this summer. However, they will also be on their property at Mågerø. The Villa Mågerø is King Harald’s private summer resort, south of the city of Tønsberg. The modern villa was completed in 1993. The property is close to a Norwegian military base guarding the property as an honorary assignment. The property ensures the royal family’s privacy as it is completely inaccessible to ordinary people and the press. Several royal birthdays have been celebrated here.
Queen Sonja has already used the royal yacht this summer, but the yacht will be used more this summer. The Norwegian monarch has had a royal yacht since the Viking ages. The current yacht is “KS Norge”.
The Norwegian Royal Yacht is one of the world’s two remaining royal yachts. The other is the Danish Royal Yacht Dannebrog. The Royal Yacht was a gift from the people of Norway to King Haakon VII in 1947, purchased in the wake of a nationwide collection effort. The ship is owned by His Majesty The King but is manned and maintained by the Royal Norwegian Navy.
Featured image: The Norwegian Royal Yacht “KS Norge”. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
NordenBladet – Maud Angelica Behn, daughter of Princess Martha Louise and Ari Behn is also the granddaughter of King Harald and Queen Sonja. She impressed many with her moving speech at her father’s funeral in January this year. Ari Behn took his own life on Christmas Day 2019. For the first time since the death, Princess Martha Louise and her daughters have talked about the hard time with the Norwegian Telegram Agency.
Maud Angelica Behn, who is seventeen, says that she felt overwhelmed and in shock after her father’s death. Nevertheless, today she is proud of the poignant speech she made in his honour. She says: “It was so important to me to give that speech. It meant so much to me that I could get some value and something nice out of all the awfulness. And I felt that I could do that with my speech and to use my grief to say something to others.”
Princess Märtha Louise and her daughters Emma Tallulah Behn, Leah Isadora Behn and Maud Angelica Behn also gave NTB a tour of Gallery Varden where a selection of Ari Behn’s art will now be on display. The exhibition opens to the public on Saturday.
This week the family has been on several trips to Jeløya, where a memorial exhibition is being prepared. It will include a selection of Ari Behn’s paintings as well as prints made by Maud Angelica.
Maud Angelica was very open about receiving support from a psychologist and from a care group she has participated in. Nevertheless, she told NTB the past months have been painful. She continues: “Mom has said it is a bit like breathing in and out. Sometimes you have to think about it, and sometimes not. My father was very good with words and compliments. It was so poetic and nice.”
Princess Märtha Louise says it has been difficult time for the children after their father died, continuing “luckily, things are getting better and better gradually. At the same time, there are many good memories to look back on. That they are going to grow up without a father is just heart-breaking.”
Featured image: Princess Märtha Louise (By Richter Frank-Jurgen – Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)
NordenBladet – Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway has revealed some new hobbies she’s taken up since the coronavirus pandemic took hold. The Norwegian Crown Princess did so in two posts on her Instagram.
On Sunday, the Crown Princess revealed her first new pastime. In the form of a post on Instagram, she showed off a custom made flower arrangement, crafted from ceramics. The post contains several pictures of the process itself and the final result. The Crown Princess then wrote: “I have been to my first ceramics course. Found a picture on Instagram with some flowers I wanted to make. To put it that way, I was very surprised that I got it to work.”
Perhaps the Crown Princess has been inspired by her mother-in-law, Queen Sonja. Queen Sonja has been an artist for many years and has made a number of impressive creations with ceramics. This is something the Queen has good experiences with and most likely she has shared some of her tricks with Norway’s next Queen. Most of the work in ceramics made by Queen Sonja are large vases with modern features.
The Crown Princess has recently revealed that this is not the only hobby she has that involves crafts and good artistic skills. In mid-May, the Crown Princess posted another post on her Instagram revealing that she had started weaving. The Crown Princess then posted a post from the weaving room to the Asker house craft club and wrote: “Here in the weaving room my hope is bright today.”
According to Norwegian press, the Crown Princess attended a weaving course organised by the Asker House Craft Club, and the royal also received a diploma for her efforts when the course was concluded.
It has now been six years since Crown Princess Mette-Marit took the then unusual move of acquiring an official account on the popular social media Instagram. Back then, her first post ever was a selfie. In the years that have followed, the Crown Princess has often shared pictures with her now 278,000 followers from both her everyday life and official assignments. Especially during the corona pandemic, she has updated with kind words and messages to people to remain positive.
NordenBladet – King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands had only just arrived for their State Visit to Indonesia when it became clear that a fatal boat accident had taken place.
The boat accident took place on 9 March on the river in the Sebangau National Park in the island of Kalimantan. The two boats involved in the accident belonged to Indonesian organisations, which were a part of the preparations for the State Visit. There were several fatalities and injuries. King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima were due to visit the Sebangau National Park on Thursday.
The King and Queen are said to be shocked and grieving with the families of the victims. They have also sent their condolences to President Widodo of Indonesia. Out of respect for the families of the victims, the program of the State Visit will be toned down. Further details on what this will mean exactly will be announced later today.
The State Visit will last until 13 March and as per the press release, “The state visit affirms the close, wide-ranging relationship between the two countries and will be geared towards future cooperation,” and will include a programme that focuses on “the economy, nature conservation, culture, science and the many ties that exist between the peoples of Indonesia and the Netherlands, based in part on their shared history.”
NordenBladet – Crown Prince Frederik paid an emotional visit to the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan last week, visiting with Save the Children Denmark to mark the organisation’s 75th anniversary.
The Zaatari refugee camp is just east of the Jordanian city of Mafraq and is the world’s largest Syrian refugee camp. It opened in 2012 following the Syrian Civil War and housed around 76,000 refugees, of which over half are children.
Crown Prince Frederik was joined by the Danish Minister of Development, Rasmus Prehn, and Save the Children’s Secretary-General, Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen, for the visit which, according to the Royal House, “focused on the work to strengthen the mental health and psychosocial well-being of children and young people in humanitarian crises.”
“I have learned today that in the middle of a dark and gloomy outer area, light can be made in transmitted meaning to larger groups and especially to children and young people,” Crown Prince Frederik said in a media release on Save the Children Denmark’s official website.
“It is useful to be here [and it] is important to elucidate issues in order to help and lift children out of trauma. It is Save the Children once again front runners on. It is fantastic.”
At the Zaatari refugee camp, Save the Children Denmark has opened both educational and football training centres to help children in all aspects of their development. Crown Prince Frederik and Minister Prehn joined young people at the camp in playing with Lego and football and joining in for a meal of kebabs and meatballs.
At the education center, educators are trained “to care for under-stimulated children who, through play and friendships, enhance their learning ability, positive behaviour and mental well-being.” Nearly 40 per cent of children are educated at Save the Children Denmark’s centre.
Crown Prince Frederik and Minister Prehn then visited a football training project to see how learning the sport is also giving the children life skills such as “tools to resolve conflicts, deal with difficult emotions and develop their confidence.”
“It is absolutely invaluable that the Crown Prince and the Minister of Development help us to focus on how crucial the work on children’s mental war damage is,” said Schmidt-Nielsen.
“Children fleeing must have food, water and shelter for rain and cold. But they also need psychological first aid and support to process their traumatic experiences. For children at war are destroyed inside. The great news is that they can heal, and I am so happy to showcase our important work.”
Save the Children Denmark was founded on 14 March 1943 to help Danish children who were displaced and starving during the Second World War. Today, it still helps children displaced by war but has grown to become an international operation.
Crown Prince Frederik is the patron of Save the Children Denmark (redbarnet.dk).
NordenBladet – Sweden’s youngest royal is celebrating her second birthday today with her family in Miami, Florida, where the family resides. To celebrate, Princess Madeleine posted a beautiful photo of her youngest child on Instagram. In her post, she said, “Happy Birthday to the sweetest little sister and best baby girl!”
Princess Madeleine regularly posts about her children on her Instagram account and marked her eldest child, Princess Leonore’s birthday in February with a special post.
Princess Adrienne, the youngest child of Princess Madeleine and Chris O’Neill, was born one year ago in Danderyd Hosptial in Danderyd, Sweden. She joined older siblings, Princess Leonore (b. 20 February 2014 in New York) and Prince Nicolas (b. 15 June 2015 in Danderyd).
Her Royal Highness Princess Adrienne Josephine Alice of Sweden, Duchess of Blekinge, was born on 9 March 2018. As tenth in line of succession to the Swedish throne, Adrienne is the third granddaughter and seventh grandchild of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia.
Adrienne was christened into the Church of Sweden on 8 June 2018 in the Royal Chapel of Drottningholm Palace; the date is a special one for her family as it was the day her parents married in 2013 and the date of Leonore’s 2014 christening.
The Princess’s godparents are Anouska d’Abo, Coralie Charriol Paul, Nader Panahpour, Gustav Thott, Charlotte Kreuger Cederlund and Natalie Werner.
She held the style of Royal Highness until October of last year when her grandfather removed the Royal Highness status and position in the Royal House from his grandchildren through his son, Prince Carl Philip and his wife, Princess Sofia, as well as the children of Princess Madeleine and her husband, Chris.
Princess Adrienne’s cousins, Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar, retain their place in the Royal House and status as Royal Highnesses as they are the children of Crown Princess Victoria – the future queen.
NordenBladet – Due to the coronavirus, the Norwegian Royal Family has cancelled its participation at the Holmenkollen Ski Festival this weekend, the Royal Court said in a press release on Friday afternoon.
The full release stated the following: “Unfortunately, the Royal Family finds reason to cancel their presence at the Holmenkollen Ski Festival. This is in line with the decision made by the authorities to cancel the public event.”
The virus has now affected many royal families. The Belgian state visit to Italy has been cancelled due to fear of infection. Princess Estelle’s school is closed after one of the students got the virus, and the Swedish Royal Family also postponed a Representation Dinner in fear of the virus.
As of 6 March, a total of 105 Norwegians have tested positive for the virus.
It has been known for several weeks that Princess Astrid, King Harald and possibly other members of the family were expected both on Saturday and Sunday at the ski festival. The municipality of Oslo said the event will take place without spectators but will be broadcast on TV. It was expected that around 30,000 people would attend the ski festival in Holmenkollen this weekend.
Guri Varpe, Head of Communications at the Royal Palace, does not want to comment further on the issue. However, when King Harald and Queen Sonja met with the Norwegian press in Petra in Jordan earlier this week, the royals explained that they were not particularly afraid of the virus. His Majesty the King said then: “We are here, so the virus has not had any impact. We follow very simple rules of hand hygiene and such, which should make it more difficult for the virus to get us.”
On Friday morning, there was a known total of 105 cases of coronavirus in Norway. As a result, several changes have been made to Norwegian airlines and other institutions. On 26 February, Norway confirmed the first case of COVID-19. The Norway Institute of Public Health announced that someone tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 after returning from China the previous week.
