Birth of Maud Angelica Behn: April 29, 2003

[samitude]

Actually, I think they said her due date was either April or May. They weren't sure at the beginning. I haven't heard which month it is exactly. Other places say it's just the spring. I would not be surprised if she had twins and if they were early.

 

[Mandy]

VG Nett article about Martha Louise.

The article is in Norwegian so I'm not sure all it says. According to it, Martha's due date remains just April/May. I believe that she will be spending Easter in Lillehammer but will be within minutes of a hospital.

Can anyone translate? Please?

www.vg.no/pub/vgart.hbs?artid=54319

 

[Mandy]

Princess drops family gynecologist

Princess Martha Louise will not have her baby delivered by the traditional royal physician at Norway's National Hospital, Professor Babill Stray-Pedersen. Stray-Pedersen had medical responsibility for the princess' pregnancy until February

No one at the National Hospital would comment on the reasons behind the break between the princess and the world-renowned professor, but a likely cause is a disagreement over the extent of natural as opposed to traditional the birth would be.

"I can confirm that I and the chief midwife at the Women's Clinic will be present for the birth of Princess Martha Louise's child," said Professor Thomas Abyholm, head of the Women's Clinic. Medical director Tore Henriksen is also to be present.

Abyholm told Aftenposten that Stray-Pedersen and the princess had reached the decision by agreement.

"The only thing I can say is that this is not dramatic and there is no special reason for the decision," Abyhold said.

There have been media reports that the princess was planning an alternative birth using the Rosen Method, and that doctors were not to be present - but doctors are not present during non-problematic births in Norway anyway.

The princess is due to deliver at the end of the month or early May, and is planning to spend the Easter holidays with her husband Ari Behn in Lillehammer.

"If the birth starts during the princess' Ester holiday, a medical evaluation will be taken about whether she should give birth at Lillehammer's Innlandet Hospital or be taken to the National Hospital (in Oslo)," said Tore Henriksen.

Stray-Pedersen has been gynecologist to Queen Sonja, Crown Princess Mette-Marit as well as Princess Martha Louise.


Aftenposten's Norwegian reporter

My Webpage

 

[Alexandria]

I read on another message board that Princess Martha Louise will have her baby by the Rosen Method - an alternative form of managing pain. Princess Martha Louise and her mother-in-law have both practiced this kind of method before, from my understanding.

This seems to fit in with the Princess' personality - a holistic approach to things rather than a stricly medicinal one.

 

[Josefine]

article from www.aftenposten.no

Princess Martha Louise will not have her baby delivered by the traditional royal physician at Norway's National Hospital, Professor Babill Stray-Pedersen. Stray-Pedersen had medical responsibility for the princess' pregnancy until February.

No one at the National Hospital would comment on the reasons behind the break between the princess and the world-renowned professor, but a likely cause is a disagreement over the extent of natural as opposed to traditional the birth would be.

"I can confirm that I and the chief midwife at the Women's Clinic will be present for the birth of Princess Martha Louise's child," said Professor Thomas Abyholm, head of the Women's Clinic. Medical director Tore Henriksen is also to be present.

Abyholm told Aftenposten that Stray-Pedersen and the princess had reached the decision by agreement.

"The only thing I can say is that this is not dramatic and there is no special reason for the decision," Abyhold said.

There have been media reports that the princess was planning an alternative birth using the Rosen Method, and that doctors were not to be present - but doctors are not present during non-problematic births in Norway anyway.

The princess is due to deliver at the end of the month or early May, and is planning to spend the Easter holidays with her husband Ari Behn in Lillehammer.

"If the birth starts during the princess' Ester holiday, a medical evaluation will be taken about whether she should give birth at Lillehammer's Innlandet Hospital or be taken to the National Hospital (in Oslo)," said Tore Henriksen.

Stray-Pedersen has been gynecologist to Queen Sonja, Crown Princess Mette-Marit as well as Princess Martha Louise.

 

[Josefine]

article from www.aftenposten.no

Norway's King Harald has decided that the soon-due baby of Princess Martha Louise and Ari Behn will not have a royal title, even though it will join the order of accession to the throne.

Princess Martha and author husband Behn are expecting their first child at the end of April or early May.

When the big event takes place, the first person outside of the family to receive the news will be President of the Storting (Parliament), Jorgen Kosmo.

After this, Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik, chief Justice of the Supreme Court Tore Schei, Oslo bishop Gunnar Staalsett, the Defense and royalty in Europe will be notified, according to a press release from the palace.

The Norwegian flag will be flown at public buildings on the day of the birth or the day after, but the baby's birthday will not become a public flag day.

 

[Mandy]

Royal baby watch continues

Princess Martha Louise is due to deliver a new royal heir any day now, and the whole family has freed up schedules to be on call for the big event. No official appearances are planned until Constitution Day on May 17.

The princess and her husband, Ari Behn, spent last week's Easter holiday with King Harald and Queen Sonja at a royal residence in Lillehammer. They all posed for photos and the princess hinted she was getting a bit impatient.

"I hope the baby comes soon now, I'm looking forward to it," she said. "That is, we're looking forward to it."

The king and queen attended Easter Sunday church services in Lillehammer, and newspaper VG reported Monday that both Martha Louise and Ari Behn intended to join them. But the princess reportedly didn't feel well and they traveled home to Oslo instead.

"The princess and Ari Behn chose to end their Easter vacation on Sunday," royal spokesperson Wenche Rasch told VG. "There's nothing dramatic about that. The princess is in fine form and the birth has not begun."

The couple isn't staying in the princess' flat on Professor Dahl's Gate in Oslo. It's believed they're staying at the Royal Palace in Oslo.


Aftenposten English Web Desk

 

[Mandy]

Oslo, 22.04.2003:
According to the magazine Se og Hör, the Princess was in good mood when she arrived by car at Rikshospitalet yesterday at 12 o'clock. The Princess arrived the hospital together with her husbond Ari Behn and her secretary Mari Sörli. But she did not need to stay in hospital this time...40 minutes later the three of them came back outside. - This was just a rutine control, the Princess said smiling before she got in the car to drive back to Professor Dahlsgt in Oslo, where she and Ari have spent most of their time since getting back from Lillehammer last Sunday.

Photo: Marius Gulliksrud/Se og Hör/All Over Press Norway

Photo: Se og Hör/All Over Press Norway

Photo: Se og Hör/All Over Press Norway

 

[samitude]

She was admitted about an hour and a half ago.

Here's the link to Aftenposten's article.

Link: Article

 

[Jacqueline]

Thanks for the update Sylvia!

I can't wait for the official annoucement.

 

[samitude]

The queen is on her way to Oslo from London. The king arrived in Oslo earlier because he had an official engagement yesterday or today.

 

[Josefine]

Birth 20:10: Maud Angelica.

Congratulations to the happy parents!

 

[Mandy]

Just read it in VG nett & Aftenposten. I believe it says ML delivered at 20:10 Oslo time. She will be named Maud Angelica. Great news.

 

[Josefine]

I hope Crown Princess Victoria will be asked to be a godmother for the girl...

 

[Alexandria]

Thanks Josefine for the great news! I figured I would hear the news first on this board! I've been glued to my computer screen since lunchtime when I heard that Martha Louise had gone into labour.

I don't know about the name Maud. Maud Behn doesn't seem to roll off the tongue very easily. Although Angelica is very beautiful. Perhaps they will call her by her middle name.

 

[Mandy]

Here is the article from Aftenposten in English.

It's a girl!

Norway's Princess Martha Louise delivered a baby girl at the country's National Hospital (Rikshospitalet) in Oslo Tuesday night. The baby, named Maud Angelica Behn, automatically becomes third in line to inherit the throne.

The princess, age 31, and her husband, author Ari Behn, were said to be thrilled and relieved after their daughter arrived shortly after 8pm. The couple married just last May and had said all along that they wanted children.

Wenche Rasch of the Royal Palace told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) that mother and child were doing fine. She had no immediate vital statistics to reveal about the child , "because in these modern times, the child shall rest on the mother's stomach for awhile before being measured."

Rasch said King Harald and Queen Sonja were expected to come visit their first grandchild Wednesday morning. The queen was on her way home to Oslo after a weekend trip to London, where Crown Prince Haakon lives and studies with his wife, Crown Princess Mette-Marit.

The baby, named for her paternal great-grandmother, the late Queen Maud, is the first royal heir to be born in Norway since Crown Prince Haakon made his entrance in July 1973.

A congratulatory protocol was due to be set out at the Royal Palace in Oslo on Wednesday and would be available for signing from 11am to 3pm.

The royal birth was also due to be marked by a military salute from Akershus Castle. All public buildings will fly the flag, although the baby's birthday will not become a national flag day.

The baby won't be granted a royal title either, unless her uncle, Crown Prince Haakon, dies without an heir of his own.


Aftenposten English Web Desk
Nina Berglund

 

[Mandy]

Thanks Josefine!

I appreciate it. As for your suggestion for Godmother. I too hope that Victoria is chosen since she and Martha are very good friends.

 

[samitude]

I wouldn't be surprised if Princess Alexandra zu-Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg is asked to be a godmother. Märtha Louise was a godmother to her son Richard. Does the royal house of Norway have a tradition of when the baby is christened? In the Danish royal house I think it's three months after the baby is born. Nikolai was born in August and baptised in November and Felix was born in July and baptised in October.

 

[Alexandria]

I meant to add in my earlier post that that was a very quick birth for Martha Louise, espescially considering it was her first baby, too. It took my mom 18 hours to deliver me (I was the first). The record in our family is my aunt Lanie, who took only 3 hours to deliver my baby cousin - though this was her fourth baby.

 

[Mandy]

Picture & Caption from Aftenposten.

FOTO: ØRN BORGEN: Gylden halvmeter. Ari Behn viser frem de 50 centimetrene Maud Angelica målte da han ble født.

 

[Alexandria]

That's a very proud looking daddy!

I just realized that their daughter's names form their initials: Maud (Martha Louise) and Angelica (Ari) ... Am I going overboard? Must be all those English classes where I had to (over) analyze even the most minute details in books!

 

[Jacqueline]

Norway gets first royal baby in 30 years

OSLO (Reuters) - Norway's Princess Martha has given birth to a daughter, the Nordic nation's first royal baby in 30
years and the first female member of the family who will escape royal sex discrimination.

Martha's husband Ari Behn was at her bedside when the baby was born at 8:10 p.m. (7.10 p.m. British time) at
Norway's main hospital in Oslo. "This is a happy day for all the Norwegian people," Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik
told TV2 news.

The baby will be called Maud Angelica and is third in line to the throne behind Crown Prince Haakon and Martha. Maud
was the name of Norway's first queen after independence from Sweden in 1905 and was a granddaughter of Britain's
Queen Victoria.

She is the first royal baby born in Norway since Haakon in July 1973, though the royal family already has one child --
Crown Princess Mette-Marit has a son, Marius, from a former relationship before she married Haakon in 2001.

King Harald has ruled that Martha's daughter will not have a royal title. She will move down the line of succession if
Haakon and Mette-Marit have children -- six-year-old Marius has no claim to the throne and no title.

Under the old law of succession, Crown Prince Haakon, 29, is heir to the throne, leapfrogging his sister Martha, 31,
because he is a man.

Maud Angelica is the first royal baby born since the law was changed in 1990 to let the eldest child inherit the throne,
regardless of sex, and will stay ahead of any younger brothers in the line of succession.

Pollsters say the birth may improve the monarchy's popularity. Some critics say Norway's young royals, who are
sometimes seen chatting with friends over a drink at trendy bars, have become too close to ordinary people.

Traditionally strong support for the royals among Norway's 4.5 million population dipped in the past couple of years on
misgivings about Haakon and Martha's choices of spouse.

Article From: swissinfo

 

[Adriana]

Congratulations to the proud parents!!!

 

[Julia]

Wonderful news!

 

[Mandy]

1. April 30, 2003: Ari Behn's Mother, Marianne Solberg Behn. (Dagbladet.no)
2. April 30, 2003: Martha received a visit from the proud grandparents. (VGnett)
3. Picture of true happiness. (VGnett)
4. April 30, 2003: Happy Queen Sonja. (Dagbladet.no)
5. King Harald & Queen Sonja April 29, 2003. (VG)
6. King Harald & Queen Sonja April 29, 2003. (Scanpix)
7. APRIL 30, 2003: Marianne Solberg Behn & Wenche Rasche. (Scanpix)
8. APRIL 30, 2003: Angja Bjorshol & Espen Bjorshol, Ari's sister & brother with Marianne Solberg Behn, Ari's mother. (Scanpix)

 

[Fireweaver]

Thank you for the pics Mandy. Her Majesty looks extremely pleased

 

[Mandy]

Queen Sonja moved to tears

Norway's Queen Sonja could not hold back her tears as she made her first comments after becoming a grandmother for the first time. "I am very grateful that everything has gone well," she said after Princess Martha Louise's daughter Maud Angelica was born Tuesday evening.

The queen had just arrived at Oslo's Gardermoen Airport from a solo trip to London, and told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) that she had learned the good news while on the plane.

The queen and King Harald were to meet their granddaughter and her proud parents on Wednesday morning.

The queen told NRK that she thought the choice of name - Maud Angelica - was "just beautiful", and the immediate reaction in Norway also seemed to be one of approval.

The choice of the English Maud was no surprise with its historical connections - the first queen of the royal house was named Maud - but Angelica was unexpected.

Language researcher Ivar Utne of Bergen University said that Maud had never caught on as a name in Norway, but that it had been growing in popularity in Sweden.

Utne's colleague Jorgen Ouren of Statistics Norway is confident that Angelica will prove to be more popular when future Norwegians naming their daughters.

Princess Martha Louise's birth in 1971 didn't spark a wave of Marthas but it did seem to contribute to a rise in Louise as a choice for baby girls.


(Aftenposten Interactive/NTB)

 

[Alexandria]

From Polfoto: A picture of the "glad" uncle, Haakon in London upon hearing about Maud Angelica's birth.

 

[Soli Deo Gloria]

Wonderful news! :flower:
.... but I want to see the baby.... I have seen the other ones before

But, I understand Märta Louise and Ari if they dont want the press to come yet... When we got our daughter, we just wanted to sit there watching her, all by ourselves... at least the first two days.../ Sulan

 

[Alexandria]

That's a very sweet sentiment from Ari. I would want to stare at my baby all the time, too. Imagine having to share her with the rest of the world. I suppose the public will have all of Maud's life to look at her, but these couple of days are just for mom, dad, grandparents and aunts and uncles.