Name & Godparent Suggestions for the Twins


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When P. Mathilde was pregnant with her 4th child, I (as many others) figured that the name of their baby would be biblical (with 'el'). When p. Máxima was pregnant with her 3th child, thinking the name would start with an 'A' was quite logical. With p. Mary and p. Frederik, I (still) have no clue in what direction I should think.:bang:

For Elvis: Johan, Axel, Kasper, Oliver, Sebastian
For Shirley: Helene, Emma, Alice/Alix, Victoria, Gabriëlle
 
Wasn´t it so that they decided Isabellas name just days before the christening? Or is this a rumour?
 
I've been wondering - since I'm not particularly clued up on the Danish RF or their ways of doing things & only recently learnt anything them - how does this name thing work in reality? I get that they don't publically announce the name or anything til the christening but do they know privately, within the family? Does a Danish royal baby really go around for weeks/months after birth essentially not having a name at all even in total privacy? (like even if the child were literally just with the Mum & Dad with no-one else around at all)

Of course they don't want to risk leaks of the names before the right time etc but do they name the child in private & use it in private but just not mention the name to anyone so as to keep it private til the chistening or is the name really not known or mentioned by anyone, at anytime, even in private or within the immediate family, whatsoever til the christening?

Just seems a little odd to have a baby for so long & literally no-one knowing it's name not even the immediate family, even in privacy etc. Also how does it work with when the parents finally decide on the name? How do they let it be known for the christening, is it literally like right then said at the time & it's like a big surprise for everyone, even for close family at the christening? Do they have to let the priest or whatever know beforehand? Does the Queen have to be told in advance or anything like that?
 
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I too would have trouble with not using a baby's name for that amount of time...my theory is that the only people who discuss the names together, in private, behind closed doors are Mary and Fred...but knowing my own propensity for slip-ups and slip-OUTS, I would have to try really hard to just block the names discussed from my head and continue to use 'lillepige' and 'lilledreng'...you have to have a quick and clever mind NOT to divulge (even accidently) before the time...I think Mary especially has this skill of discretion and keeping counsel...They especially would not discuss names in front of their other children (C & I) because kids have an annoying habit of spilling all parents secrets, even royal kids, I imagine ;)
 
They do have names though Elvis an Shirley ;)
 
I'm not sure, rossop7. If they're still unsure how to name their kids, they won't obvisously not use any names. But if they are sure how to name them, maybe the do use them in absolute privat. By that I mean only Mary and Fred without Christian and Bella around (who are still to young to really keep quiet). Maybe the other imidiate adult relatives also know. But maybe Mary and Fred keep the names private from them also. I could imagine both possibilities.

About the technicalities of the christening itself I don't know anything, because I'm not from Denmark. In Germany the priest or pastor knows the name before a christening (but then, all know the name before the christening). Maybe it's different in Denmark because of the "The name is secret"-tradition? I remember Mary being asked what the name of the baby is, when Bella was christened.

About the reason of this secret-tradition I can only speculate. I remember reading something about a tradition like this a while ago. But it was when a very similar tradition was used in a book I read. Not real life. There the reason for not making a name public before the christening was, that the newborn still wasn't completely welcomed in gods family and therefore could still be an easy prey for the devil. So by not saying the name of the newborn aloud the devil couldn't find it and the newborn was safe. Maybe in Denmark it's a very similar reason behind the tradition of not telling the newborns name before the christening.
 
I'm not sure, rossop7. If they're still unsure how to name their kids, they won't obvisously not use any names. But if they are sure how to name them, maybe the do use them in absolute privat. By that I mean only Mary and Fred without Christian and Bella around (who are still to young to really keep quiet). Maybe the other imidiate adult relatives also know. But maybe Mary and Fred keep the names private from them also. I could imagine both possibilities.

About the technicalities of the christening itself I don't know anything, because I'm not from Denmark. In Germany the priest or pastor knows the name before a christening (but then, all know the name before the christening). Maybe it's different in Denmark because of the "The name is secret"-tradition? I remember Mary being asked what the name of the baby is, when Bella was christened.

About the reason of this secret-tradition I can only speculate. I remember reading something about a tradition like this a while ago. But it was when a very similar tradition was used in a book I read. Not real life. There the reason for not making a name public before the christening was, that the newborn still wasn't completely welcomed in gods family and therefore could still be an easy prey for the devil. So by not saying the name of the newborn aloud the devil couldn't find it and the newborn was safe. Maybe in Denmark it's a very similar reason behind the tradition of not telling the newborns name before the christening.

The priest always asks the couple, not just in Denmark, what name has been given to the child, at least in all baptisms I have been to. It is literally an introduction to the church. Of course normally a child's name is known by everyone long before that point.

And again like knowing if they have chosen a name or not, unless we know the couple personally, no one really knows if they use the name in private or not.
 
I've been wondering - since I'm not particularly clued up on the Danish RF or their ways of doing things & only recently learnt anything them - how does this name thing work in reality? I get that they don't publically announce the name or anything til the christening but do they know privately, within the family? Does a Danish royal baby really go around for weeks/months after birth essentially not having a name at all even in total privacy? (like even if the child were literally just with the Mum & Dad with no-one else around at all)

Of course they don't want to risk leaks of the names before the right time etc but do they name the child in private & use it in private but just not mention the name to anyone so as to keep it private til the chistening or is the name really not known or mentioned by anyone, at anytime, even in private or within the immediate family, whatsoever til the christening?

Just seems a little odd to have a baby for so long & literally no-one knowing it's name not even the immediate family, even in privacy etc. Also how does it work with when the parents finally decide on the name? How do they let it be known for the christening, is it literally like right then said at the time & it's like a big surprise for everyone, even for close family at the christening? Do they have to let the priest or whatever know beforehand? Does the Queen have to be told in advance or anything like that?

I can't say what M&F do in private.

QMII is informed about the names beforehand, she said so in a recent interview.

The priest is informed shortly before the baptism. On the actual day.
That has been the case beforehand.

All employees at the court have signed a letter of confidence. As such a letter is similar to letters signed by government/state employees it would be a criminal offence if they revealed anything.
We are not talking about a civil lawsuit, but a criminal offence! And we are talking prison, not just a fine.
That also applies to an editor, should he be aware that such confidence is breached - and he will of course. Unless he has got extremely good reasons to publish confidential details from the private lives of M&F an editor will also be held accountable. Either on a criminal charge if there is a security breach or a civil lawsuit, which he is bound to lose.

The nanny, who is privately employed by M&F, won't talk either. She has most likely signed a similar letter and what would she gain from revealing the names? Not much. She would be sacked on the spot and her future career would be over.
 
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For Prince Christian's christening, there was a slip of paper paper-clipped to the relevant page of the Bishop's Bible which had the four names printed on it - Christian Valdemar Henri John. You could see it in an overhead photo that was taken around the time they announced his name in the ceremony. I would expect something similiar occured with Isabella's christening, and probably with the twins' as well.

ETA: Here is a picture in which you can see the slip of paper with the four names on it.
Photo credit: scanned by mtbcm
 
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I believe the Queen told BILLED-BLADET about two weeks ago, that she did not know the names yet?

You all have some really good guesses for names.
I love the name Alexander, but I think it might be a bit too close to Joachim's ex-wife Alexandra...
And didn't Alexandra and Joachim have a dog named Oscar?

I can't really think of a name for the prince. I've considered Andreas, Valdemar and Victor. But Valdemar is one of Christian's names and Victor might be to close to Victoria of Sweden.

For the princess my best guess would be Matilda/Mathilde, Sofia/Sofie, Amalie or Astrid/Asta.
 
Danish girl said:
I believe the Queen told BILLED-BLADET about two weeks ago, that she did not know the names yet?

You all have some really good guesses for names.
I love the name Alexander, but I think it might be a bit too close to Joachim's ex-wife Alexandra...
And didn't Alexandra and Joachim have a dog named Oscar?

I can't really think of a name for the prince. I've considered Andreas, Valdemar and Victor. But Valdemar is one of Christian's names and Victor might be to close to Victoria of Sweden.

For the princess my best guess would be Matilda/Mathilde, Sofia/Sofie, Amalie or Astrid/Asta.

That seems very unlikely that QMII wouldn't know the names by now. But one never knows.

I'm thinking Valdemar or Knud for Elvis and I'm thinking Matilda/Matilde for Shirley. But I'm sure F&M have chosen really good names and they'll be cute despite.
 
Shirley: Princess Mathilda Elizabeth Mary Renee

Elvis: Prince James Friedrik Peter Andre
 
About the reason of this secret-tradition I can only speculate. I remember reading something about a tradition like this a while ago. But it was when a very similar tradition was used in a book I read. Not real life. There the reason for not making a name public before the christening was, that the newborn still wasn't completely welcomed in gods family and therefore could still be an easy prey for the devil. So by not saying the name of the newborn aloud the devil couldn't find it and the newborn was safe. Maybe in Denmark it's a very similar reason behind the tradition of not telling the newborns name before the christening.
Oh, we´ve had that superstition in Denmark too :)

The priest is informed shortly before the baptism. On the actual day.
That has been the case beforehand.
Normally the priest is informed about the name a few days before the christening day when the priest talks with the parents about the service and how to do in the church. But I remember the darling Erik Norman Svendsen (love that man :wub: ) has told that he got the paperslips (Christian Valdemar Henri John) and (Isabella Henrietta Ingrid Margrethe) just a few hours before the christening.

For Prince Christian's christening, there was a slip of paper paper-clipped to the relevant page of the Bishop's Bible which had the four names printed on it - Christian Valdemar Henri John. You could see it in an overhead photo that was taken around the time they announced his name in the ceremony. I would expect something similiar occured with Isabella's christening, and probably with the twins' as well.

ETA: Here is a picture in which you can see the slip of paper with the four names on it.
Photo credit: scanned by mtbcm
And the one from Pss Isabella´s christening: http://multimedia.jp.dk/archive/00073/ny_barned_b_isabella_73800e.jpg

Oh, and just for clarification: The paperslip is not in the Bible, but in "The Book of Rituals" :)

I know I´ve seen that there at one time was a post-it :ermm: Was it for Prince Henrik??? :ermm:
 
:previous:

Thanks for the correction FasterB, I always thought it would be the Bible.

I know I´ve seen that there at one time was a post-it :ermm:

:mellow: A post-it? Did they forget about the whole 'nobody knows the name and we kind of have to tell the priest before the ceremony' thing, and Joachim/whichever person it was just so happened to have a post-it lying around in their pocket?
 
:previous:

Thanks for the correction FasterB, I always thought it would be the Bible.



:mellow: A post-it? Did they forget about the whole 'nobody knows the name and we kind of have to tell the priest before the ceremony' thing, and Joachim/whichever person it was just so happened to have a post-it lying around in their pocket?
No no, I meant that there was a post-it in "The Book of Rituals" instead of the paperslip :flowers:
 
:previous:

Thanks for the correction FasterB, I always thought it would be the Bible.



:mellow: A post-it? Did they forget about the whole 'nobody knows the name and we kind of have to tell the priest before the ceremony' thing, and Joachim/whichever person it was just so happened to have a post-it lying around in their pocket?

You never know what a prince may have in his pocket. But it likely had more to do with being more convenient than a paper clip. No worries about it falling out, or losing the paper clip or such. Not about to staple it in, even if a rule book and not a bible.
 
You never know what a prince may have in his pocket. But it likely had more to do with being more convenient than a paper clip. No worries about it falling out, or losing the paper clip or such. Not about to staple it in, even if a rule book and not a bible.
Well, if you had read my answer just above your post, you would have found out that it was instead of the piece of paper with the name on it :flowers:
 
the crown prince and princess norway wont be in Copenhaguen for the christening of the twins. They are in Ghana from 12-14 April.
 
I don't care who's there...I don't even care about who they make godparents...there are only 2 things -well, THREE actually - that I care about...

1. What will Mary wear?
2. Twin girl's name?
3. Twin boy's name?

(In that order ;) ) So shallow I know :)
 
I don't care who's there...I don't even care about who they make godparents...there are only 2 things -well, THREE actually - that I care about...

1. What will Mary wear?
2. Twin girl's name?
3. Twin boy's name?

(In that order ;) ) So shallow I know :)


Haha, me too! I'm not really bothered about the Godparents because firstly I probably won't know whoever is picked as my knowledge of the likely candidates is pretty much zero, plus godparents aren't really of any interest to me anyway regardless of the child. ;)

My interest is entirely on the names, no idea why exactly but whenever there is a new baby all I want to know is gender & name, nothing else. The way the Danish RF do this naming process with nothing public til the Christening is really entertaining to me, I'm getting more & more interested in what the names end up being. I want to know NOW! :D
 
the crown prince and princess norway wont be in Copenhaguen for the christening of the twins. They are in Ghana from 12-14 April.

And Princess Martha Louise and Ari Behn are in the U.S.A. from April 11th till April 17th for a bookpromotion
 
I don't care who's there...I don't even care about who they make godparents...there are only 2 things -well, THREE actually - that I care about...

1. What will Mary wear?
2. Twin girl's name?
3. Twin boy's name?

(In that order ;) ) So shallow I know :)
Oh, I dare to say that CPss Mary will wear the headpiece she wore at both the christening of Prince Christian and the christening of Pss Isabella.

As for the colours of her clothes - I have absolutely no idea. I´m guessing something pink/purple/rose/blue...
 
Any word from the Netherlands?
There was no Dutch royal present at Isabella's christening (and only Constantijn&Laurentien at Christian's). So, I doubt there will be any at the twin's. Besides, I think the Prince of Orange & wife will accompany the queen on a state visit to Germany at that time, but not sure about that.

Actually I think the only royals we will see are the Greek and German relatives and perhaps some godparents, if they chose foreign royals. But I have the feeling it will be Princess Marie for one twin and perhaps someone from the Berleburgs for the other and the rest of the god-parents will be non-royals.
 
Oh, I dare to say that CPss Mary will wear the headpiece she wore at both the christening of Prince Christian and the christening of Pss Isabella.


I hope not!
I think she should retire that fascinator; it really isn't all that becoming to her anyway.

(Sorry- I know a lot of people in here absolutely love it). :flowers:
 
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