Daughter for Haakon and Mette-Marit January 21, 2004

[Alexandra]

Yes, of course Astrid would be a nice name, too. I wholly forgot it!

Astrid Margareta is my choice (at the moment, anyway)!

[Britters]

Even if I had no clue what he was saying, it was nice to watch the video clip of the new Daddy. He looked so happy and excited!!!

Congratulations to Mette-Merit, Hakkon, Marius, and the rest of the Norwegian Royal Family as well as to the Norwegian people at large. The birth of an heir is a very exciting event!

[liliawodna]

I wasn't home the whole day and I have just found out! Congratulations to Crown Prince and Crown Princess and to Marius, of course!!! :flower:

[Alexandria]

So, will family members be going to Skagnum (sp?) to visit Mette-Marit and the new baby since they are home already?

[liliawodna]

More pics of the proud father...

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anb 5 Norway celebrates the birth of their future queen...
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Congratulations to Haakon and Mette-Marit. I'm so happy for them. The first Norwegian Queen in more than 600 years. How cool!!!

[norwegianne]

At all of my three younger sisters' schools it was announced over the PA system that Norway had a new princess, and flags were up at all public buildings.

[jun5]

Yahoo

Royal birth gives Norway first female heir in six centuries

OSLO (AFP) - Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit has given birth to a baby girl, who is destined to one day become the country's first female monarch since the 15th century.

"She is the prettiest little girl in the whole world," the proud father, Crown Prince Haakon, told reporters. "Both mother and baby are doing well," he added.

The baby girl, whose name was expected to be announced on Thursday, is second only to her father in line to the Norwegian throne, and could become the first woman to become queen since Margrete of Denmark died in 1412.

After the deaths of her husband and her only son, Margrete took the throne of both Denmark and Norway, which were linked together in a union.

Following centuries of male succession, the Norwegian constitution was amended in 1990 and now stipulates that the throne must go to the first born child of the ruling monarch, regardless of the child's sex.

The baby girl is 30-year-old Mette-Marit's second child, but since her seven-year-old son Marius is from a previous relationship, he has no right to the throne.

Crown Prince Haakon drove his wife Mette-Marit to the Rikshospitalet University Hospital in Oslo, where they arrived at approximately 4:00 a.m. (0300 GMT).

The newest member of the royal family weighed 3.676 kilos (8.10 pounds) and measured 51 centimeters (20 inches).

At noon, about three hours after the birth, a 21-gun salute announced her arrival in the world, and Norway's red, white and blue flag was flown at official buildings across the country and at diplomatic missions abroad.

The baby's name was expected to be announced on Thursday after a special cabinet meeting, presided over by her father Prince Haakon, who is standing in as regent while his father King Harald recovers from an operation for bladder cancer which he underwent last December.

A number of possible names have circulated in the media, including Ingeborg, Ragnhild, Margrete, Louise, Sofie and Josephine.

"The birth is a historic event, as this is the first time a daughter of Norway's crown prince and crown princess is born to inherit the throne," Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik wrote in a congratulatory note to the baby's parents.

Prince Haakon's older sister, Princess Maertha Louise, is now third in line to the throne, and her daughter, Maud Angelica, born in April last year, is fourth.

Independent Norway, which exited the union with Denmark in 1814 and then left another union with Sweden in 1905, has in fact never been ruled by a female monarch.

Asked whether the young princess would actually reign one day -- in a country where an increasing number of people have called for a republic -- Prince Haakon replied: "I have a talent for certain things but not for predicting the future. It will be up to the Norwegian people."

[norwegianne]

From cnn.com

Baby girl for Norwegian princess.

OSLO, Norway -- Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit has given birth to a girl -- her first royal baby.

She gave birth at 9.14 a.m. (0814 GMT) Tuesday, about five hours after arriving at Oslo's National Hospital with her husband, Crown Prince Haakon.

A palace statement said both mother and child were healthy.

The baby, whose name has yet to be announced, is second in line to the throne after the heir Haakon, who is the son of King Harald V.

The girl is the great-great-great-great granddaughter of Britain's Queen Victoria.

The crown princess has a son from a previous relationship, but he has no title or rights to the throne.

Haakon, 29, is next in line for the throne under old constitutional rules allowing only male monarchs.

The law was changed in 1990, meaning his daughter could become modern Norway's first queen.

Since early December, Haakon has been acting as monarch, while his father recovers from an operation.

Mette-Marit Tjessem-Hoiby married Haakon in August 2001.

[jun5]

Yahoo

Norwegians Hail Birth of Future Queen

OSLO (Reuters) - Norway celebrated after Crown Princess Mette-Marit gave birth on Wednesday to a princess who is in line to become the nation's first reigning queen in more than six centuries.

Flags flew from public buildings across the Nordic nation to fete the girl, who is second in line to the throne after her father Crown Prince Haakon, 30. She is a great great great great granddaughter of Britain's Queen Victoria.

Sexual equality campaigners rejoiced -- had she been born before the law of succession was changed in 1990, any younger brothers would have overtaken her in line for the crown.

"This is a day of happiness," Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik said, adding he was particularly pleased that it was a girl. "The Birth of a Queen," wrote Internet newspaper VG Nett.

The girl, who was given the title "Her Royal Highness," has a half brother, seven-year-old Marius, who is Mette-Marit's son from a former relationship and not part of the royal line.

"She is 3,686 grams and 51 cm and the most beautiful baby girl in the entire world," a beaming Haakon told reporters after attending the birth and cutting the umbilical cord. "It was a powerful experience. I recommend it."

Just hours after the birth, the royals left hospital and went home where they were greeted by 50 children, some of them classmates of Marius, cheering and waving Norwegian flags.

The new baby is set to be Norway's first female head of state and monarch since Danish Queen Margrete, a widow, ruled over Norway, Sweden and Denmark from 1388 to 1412. She would be the first Norwegian-born woman to head the country.


QUEEN BY MARRIAGE

Other Norwegian queens, like King Harald's wife Sonja, have married into the monarchy. Haakon is first in line to the throne even though his sister, Martha Louise, is older at 32.

Haakon upset some traditional royalists in 2001 when he married Mette-Marit, who admitted just before the wedding to a wild past attending parties where drug-taking was common.

One of Mette-Marit's brothers was recently sentenced to 60 days in jail for injuring an ex-girlfriend, and her father is a mainstay of the tabloid press, often pictured drinking beer.

Even so, the pregnancy boosted already firm backing for the monarchy, and Haakon's popularity has surged recently while he has acted as regent for his father. King Harald is recovering from surgery for bladder cancer in December.

"This is a wonderful day for the future of the monarchy and a great day for women' rights," said Pia Campbell, a 33-year-old Norwegian saleswoman.

A poll this month showed about half the country's 4.5 million population favor the monarchy that dates only from 1905, when Norway won independence from Sweden. Only 20 percent favored a republic, while 30 percent were indifferent.

The name of Norway's new princess will be made public by the prime minister on Thursday.

[Hélène]

Jay! A girl!
Congrats to the parents and to the norwegian people!

I really think it's about time for Norway to have a reign queen... :)

[norwegianne]

Originally posted by Dennism@Jan 21st, 2004 - 1:55 pm
Okay. I understand that despite her probably having her own wing or part of a wing and being secured she would feel more comfortable at home and everything. Nurses and doctors all around. Chaotic and it's chaotic for the hospital as well. But should mothers be moved like this so quickly after given birth? I don't know. Seems to me that if I did this I would just sleep for a day or 2 or just not want to move anywhere. O, well. Marius can see his new baby sister

As long as there were no complications with the birth, expert midwifes, who have been interviewed on all channels state that it's fine. I expect that they have loads of extra help at home.

[Dennism]

Okay. Maybe it's just me. I applaud any woman who can do that. We men have no idea. Drugs or not. It must be tiring.

[Dennism]

BBC

"Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit has given birth to a baby girl - who could become the country's first queen to be head of state in 600 years.

The baby, whose name has not yet been released, was born at 9.13am (0813 GMT) five hours after Crown Prince Haakon drove his wife to the hospital.

The prince, son of King Harald V and next in line to the throne, said the princess and baby were fine.

"We are very happy. It was a wonderful and strong experience," he said.

"She is the nicest most beautiful baby girl in the whole world."

The baby, who will be second in line to the throne after her father, weighed just over 3.8 kilograms (8.5 pounds).

An amendment to the Norwegian constitution in 1990 means the succession to the throne must go to the first born child of the ruling monarch, regardless of the child's sex.

The Crown Princess, 30, already has a son from a previous relationship, but the boy has no rights to the throne.

Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik sent a congratulatory note to the baby's parents.

It said: "The birth is a historic event, as this is the first time a daughter of Norway's crown prince and crown princess is born to inherit the throne."

Celebrations to mark the birth will include flying flags from all public buildings and cannon salutes from military fortresses.

Norway's last female monarch was Queen Margrete who assumed the Danish-Norwegian throne in 1380 upon the death of her husband and ruled until 1412."

[liliawodna]

Originally posted by Dennism@Jan 21st, 2004 - 1:55 pm
Okay. I understand that despite her probably having her own wing or part of a wing and being secured she would feel more comfortable at home and everything. Nurses and doctors all around. Chaotic and it's chaotic for the hospital as well. But should mothers be moved like this so quickly after given birth? I don't know. Seems to me that if I did this I would just sleep for a day or 2 or just not want to move anywhere. O, well. Marius can see his new baby sister and so can everybody else.

Well, I don't think Crown Princess had to "move". She may have been even asleep, when they took her from the hospital. She was lying on that bed with wheels and the move wasn't probably of inconvenience to her. I am sure doctors wouldn't do anything that could have bad influence on her health.

[Dennism]

"Well, I don't think Crown Princess had to "move". She may have been even asleep, when they took her from the hospital. She was lying on that bed with wheels and the move wasn't probably of inconvenience to her."

Asleep. Probably right. I just hope she didn't feel any discomfort.

[Dennism]

Originally posted by liliawodna@Jan 21st, 2004 - 3:28 pm
...

Now there's an interesting look from the grandmother. Pure joy.

[Dennism]

Is he wearing a bracelet and a watch? Interesting

ETA: Copyright source: Gettyimages

[Juliane]

I'm not sure about Norwegian hospitals, but in the States, once a baby is born, it's given an identification bracelet. Both Mom and Dad are given ID bracelets that match the one the baby is wearing. This is avoid baby switching and you're not supposed to take the bracelet off until you're released from the hospital (however, when we had our daugher, my silly husband took his off prior to our leaving the hospital. He then tried to take our daughter for a walk around the maternity wing and was promply 'attacked' by the nurses on-call).
Hope this helps!
Juliane

[Dennism]

Right. I know patients are given a bracelet. I think they are white. I haven't been in a hospital in a long time. Depressing places. Most of the time, that is.