It's a boy and a girl! - Twins for Monaco

Princess Charlène has given birth today to a boy and a girl! According to rumours she went into labour in the evening of December 9th. 

The girl arrived at 17:04 and the boy at 17:06. The Court has already announced the names: Gabriella Thérèse Marie and Jacques Honoré Ranier.

Official announcement:

It is with immense joy that TT.SS.HH the Prince and Princess of Monaco have the great pleasure to announce the birth of Their children named: 

- Gabriella, Thérèse, Marie (born at 17h04)

- Jacques, Honoré, Rainier (born at 17h06)

The births took place on 10th December 2014 at the Maternity of the Princess Grace Hospital Monaco. 

The Princess and the Children are doing well. 

The Prince Jacques, Honoré, Rainier is the Crown Prince. In accordance with the historic custom established by the treaty of Péronne (1641), He shall receive the title of Marquis of Baux (in Provence). 

The Princess Gabriella, Thérèse, Marie, second child in the line of succession, shall receive the title of Countess of Carladès (in Auvergne).

In Monaco the male born is always first in line of succession, so although Gabriella arrived first, she will only be second in line.

Name of the new little Princess + first pictures

The King held today a cabinet meeting to announce the name and title of Princess Madeleine's little daughter.

Princess Leonore Lilian Marie, Duchess of Gotland

The Court also released the first pictures of her.

Madeleine and daughter leave the hospital

Princess Madeleine and Chris O'Neill have left the hospital today together with their little daughter.

Press conference at the hospital with Chris O'Neill

Today Chris O'Neill talked to the media at the hospital.
He was present during the birth, which lasted almost one day. The baby weighs 3150 g and is 50 cm small. She looks like her mother and has dark brown eyes and brown hair.
He also said that it was Madeleine's decision to give birth in New York. They already know all of the names the little girl gets but isn't allowed to tell them now.
The announcement will be made by the King tomorrow.

Chris: Thank you very much. Thank you so much for coming out and supporting Princess Madeleine and me and [sic] what is obviously an amazing day. It was an amazing night yesterday. It was a long day, a lot of emotion, and we're just so thankful that at 10:41 last night, we got a little girl into this world, and she looks like her mum, which is all I wanted, and we have ten fingers, ten toes, and she's got a very strong, nice roar on her.

And I just wanted to, of course, thank everybody here at New York Hospital Cornell [sic], for everything they've done. The staff has been so wonderful, Peggy and her staff here, everybody on the seventh-level ward, and especially our hero, who is Dr. Degann, and who brought, along with her colleague Dr. Guballa, our little girl out into the world. And so that's really, if for me, if you have any questions, that I can answer -

Journalist: How tall is she? How big is she?
Chris: Stats?
Dr. Degann: She weighs 3150 grams, she measured 50 centimeters, and she is beautiful, and healthy.
Journalist: (something) a big baby.
Chris: How big the baby is? She's kind of this big. I do have a footprint here [shows his arm] from her last night, which has faded off a little bit. (laughs) That's her little foot from last night when she got the footprint.
Journalist: Do you have a photo on your phone?
Chris: I don't have my phone with me, but I have lots of photos. I think I've run out of memory of my camera and my photos, so that's all taken care of.
Journalist: Were you in the room the whole time?
Chris: I was. I was there from start to finish.   
Dr. Degann: He was the perfect father.

Journalist: What does that mean?
Dr. Degann: He was at her side at all times, made her comfortable, and most importantly happy.
Journalist: Was it a regular birth or a Caesarean?
Chris: It was a regular birth. Yeah, it was a regular birth. It was very smooth. All deliveries are very difficult, and I appreciate that now (chuckles) more than I did yesterday morning. I think it's a wonder that women are who they are that they can go through that in such grace. I don't think most men would be able to put up with that kind of ordeal. But the princess handled it wonderfully, and she's a very strong woman, and she is resting now, obviously, as I would try to do afterwards as well. We haven't had much sleep, but –

Journalist: (something) What was your role during (something)
Chris: Well, I cut the cord, that's what I did do, and I was just there to do whatever I could to help the princess feel as good as she could.
Journalist: How long was the whole process from start to finish?
Dr. Degann: It was pretty much a full day, as we would expect with a first baby. Quite average, and again, everything went smoothly, we're happy that everything was healthy, and Mother's happy.
Chris: Mother's -
Journalist: Can you explain, can you take us through the hours yesterday and your emotions right now?
Chris: Yeah, overwhelmed right now. Yesterday was a lot of mixed feelings that really bring out things that you've never experienced before. It's the first time for anybody to go through that. And, of course, nervous to see your wife in at times not the most comfortable positions, but then of course, at the end it's the greatest joy that could ever happen, so.
Journalist: Can you understand Prince Daniel now, with his feelings all over the place?
Chris: Absolutely. Absolutely.
Journalist: Do you have a name?
Chris: We do.
Journalist: Can you give us that? (laughs)
Chris: Nope. (laughs)

Journalist: One name! I know there are going to be five of them, can you give us one? (laughing)
Chris: Ah - no. I can't. I wish I could. I would, but I'm not allowed to, so.
Journalist: What does she look like? Does she have any hair?
Chris: She looks like her mum, and that's all I've asked for.

Journalist: Does she have hair?
Chris: She has hair. She has hair. Yeah, she has good hair.
Journalist: Eyes? What color?
Chris: Her eyes are dark brown right now, and her hair is also dark brown right now, but that also changes all the time with babies, so, you know. She's only 12 hours old right now, so.
Journalist: Who picked the name?

Chris: We both did. We both did. It was mutual.
Journalist: How will you celebrate?
Chris: I'm going to have a drink at some point later today, that's for sure.
Journalist: (something) push present?

Chris: Yeah, I've got a push present.
Journalist: What is it?
Chris: First I think my wife has to see it and then you'll know.
Journalist: Does it come in a small box or a big package?
Chris: It's a small box.
Journalist: Is it blue?
Chris: It's not blue.
Staff?: Okay, we have time for one more question.
Journalist: Was it a symbolic decision to have the baby here in New York and not in Sweden?
Chris: Symbolic – ah, no. It was a difficult decision. There were many factors that led into it. At the end of the day it was Princess Madeleine's decision, and I supported her whichever way she wanted to go.
Journalist: What do the upcoming days look like?
Chris: We're taking it day by day. We're just introducing ourselves to our little girl right now, and we'll see what happens over the next few days, but we're very excited, and we take it minute by minute.
Journalist: What was it like to hold her for the first time?
Chris: Incredible. Incredible feeling.
Journalist: Can you pronounce all her names?
Chris: I can. You can't, not yet, 'cause you don't know them. (reporters laugh) Thank you so much. Really appreciate it. Thank you again.
Journalist: Doctor, could you spell your name? Could you say and spell your name?
Dr. Degann: Sona Degann. D-e-g-a-n-n.
Journalist: S-o-n-a?
Dr. Degann: Correct. Thank you.
Chris: Thank you very much.
Dr. Degann: Thank you.

Madeleine gave birth to a baby girl!

Princess Madeleine has given birth to her daughter last night in New York! Her official due date was February 25th. King and Queen, who were supposed to come to New York, are now still in Stockholm, but are flying over in the next couple of days.

Official announcement of the Royal Court:

The Office of the Marshal of the Realm is delighted to announce that H.R.H. Princess Madeleine gave birth to a daughter on February 20 2014 at 10.41 pm local time New York. 

Both mother and child are in good health. 

Svante Lindqvist 

Marshal of the Realm 

Chris O'Neill was present during the birth.
The Te Deum will take place on March 2nd. The date for the cabinet meeting, where name and title will be announced, is not fixed yet.

Chris has been pictured outside the hosptital in the early morning after his daughter was born.

He is going to talk to the media at the hospital at 12 a.m. local time.

Will, Kate and the baby leave the hospital

Prince William, Duchess Catherine and the yet unnamed baby have left the hospital today.



William and Catherine have talked to the press for a moment.

Prince William: "Well, he's got a good pair of lungs on him, that's for sure. He's a big boy, he's quite heavy.

"We're still working on a name so we will have that as soon as we can."

He went on: "It's the first time we've seen him, really, so we're having a proper chance to catch up."

Asked how he felt, he added: "Very emotional."

The Duchess said: "It's very emotional and such a special time and I think any parent will probably know what this feeling feels like."

Prince William added: "I'll remind him of his tardiness when he's a bit older because I know how long you've all been sat out here" 

"Hopefully the hospital and you guys can all go back to normal now and we're going to look after him ... "

Asked a question by the waiting media about nappy changing, the prince replied "We've done that already" before Kate revealed: "He's done the first nappy already."

First visitors at the hospital

One day after the birth of the Prince of Cambridge Kate's parents came to visit mother and son at the hospital. Some hours later Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla arrived.

~ Kate's parents waved to the crowd and answered some questions but refused to announce the name of the baby.

~ Kate's hairdresser has also been seen arriving, wearing a baby car seat. It is not confirmed yet that they will leave the hospital today, although it is likely

UPDATE: It is confirmed now. They'll leave the hospital any moment now.
If you want to see it live ->  Live stream

Official confirmation by the Clarence House:

Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge will be discharged this evening from St. Mary’s Hospital, Paddington. 

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their son will travel home to Kensington Palace. 

Their Royal Highnesses would like to reiterate their thanks to the hospital for the care and treatment they have all received.

It's a boy!

Duchess Catherine has given birth to a boy this afternoon!

She was admitted to the Lindo wing of St. Mary's hospital at about 5:30 this morning at an early stage of labour. In the evening the waiting journalists have been informed about the birth vie e-mail.
The official birth notice has been driven to Buckingham Palace where it is displayed for the public.

The British Royal House has made the official announcement on twitter.

Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 4.24 p.m. 

The baby weighs 8 lbs 6 oz.

The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth.

The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and families have been told and are delighted.

Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well and will remain in hospital overnight.

The Clarence House also posted an announcement on instagram.

The first congratulations came from the new grandfather, Prince Charles.

  The Prince of Wales said this evening:

“Both my wife and I are overjoyed at the arrival of my first grandchild. It is an incredibly special moment for William and Catherine and we are so thrilled for them on the birth of their baby boy.

Grandparenthood is a unique moment in anyone’s life, as countless kind people have told me in recent months, so I am enormously proud and happy to be a grandfather for the first time and we are eagerly looking forward to seeing the baby in the near future.”

It is likely, that Catherine may leave the hospital tomorrow, together with William and the baby boy. When the name is going to be announced is not known, though.

Kate admitted to hospital

Duchess Catherine arrived at St. Mary's hospital in the early morning. The Palace announced she was in early stages of labour.
I am, as always when a baby is born, at work. I try to post updates on twitter, otherwise a post here in the evening.

Victoria and Daniel say thank you

Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel have left a message as thank you for all the congratulations they have received on the occasion of Princess Estelle's birth.



"Many thanks for all the kind greetings and congratulations on the occasion of Princess Estelles birth.
We really appreciate your support and that so many share our joy.
Unfortunately, we don't have the opportunity to thank everyone personally for the overwhelming amount of congratulations we have received.

To everyone who has been asking about gifts, please have our wedding Foundation in mind. Its object is to promote good health and combat exclusion among children and adolescents in Sweden."

And the name is...

...Her Royal Highness Princess Estelle Silvia Ewa Mary, Duchess of Östergötland!
King Carl Gustav announced the name of the daughter of Crown Princess Victoria today in front of the press.

Carl-Phillip and Sofia at Haga Palace

Prince Carl-Phillip and Sofia Hellqvist arrived today at Haga Palace in the evening to visit the happy family. They arrived shortly before the King and the Queen.



According to the director of the information department Princess Madeleine would like to see the baby as soon as possible, but it could take a few days until she arrives.

It's a little princess!

Crown Princess Victoria gave birth to a little girl this morning!
The Royal Court announced on facebook that Victoria and Daniel arrived at Karolinska Hospitalet at 00:50 a.m..
The baby was born about four hours later.

Official announcement:

The Office of the Marshal of the Realm is delighted to announce that H.R.H Crown Princess Victoria gave birth to a daughter on Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 04.26 am.
Both mother and child are in good health.

Svante Lindqvist
Marshal of the Realm

At 7 a.m. the new father, Prince Daniel appeared in front of the press.
The little girl weighes 3.2kilograms and is 51centimetres long.

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"When I left the little Princess lay on the chest of her mother resting", he said.
The name will be made public tomorrow at 11.15 a.m.

Victoria, Daniel and the newborn have already left the hospital. At 13:04 they arrived at Haga Palace. The King and Queen are on their way to visit the baby.
The Royal Court posted a picture of the little family when the left Karolinska Hopsitalet.



Prince Carl Philip and his girlfriend Sofia Hellqvist have congratulated Victoria and Daniel: "We are very happy for them and give Daniel and Victoria our big congratulations and wish the little daughter welcomed to the world. I´m looking forward to meet her and to get to know her".

King and Queen's congratulations to Crown Princess
- We are very pleased with the Crown Princess. We remember the joy of becoming parents and we wish the new family a wonderful time at your leisure. It is a long awaited grandchildren and we are both very proud and happy today.

Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine's wishes
- We are both thrilled about our new family member. We've been looking forward to become uncle and aunt and we wish all happiness and love for our sister, Daniel and their daughter.

Traditions and customs on the occasion of a Royal birth

The homepage of the Swedish Royal Court published a text about the traditions on the occasion of a Royal birth.

Tradition and customs on the occasion of a royal birth

The following traditional ceremonies will take place in the order below in connection with the birth of The Crown Princess' baby, which is due at the beginning of March 2012.

Press release
On the occasion of a royal birth, the Marshal of the Realm notifies the nation's leaders of the birth. A press release from the Marshal of the Realm will then be published at www.kungahuset.se and at www.facebook.com/kungahuset.

Statement of witness
On the occasion of a royal birth, a statement of witness is drawn up in accordance with tradition. This is done on the day after the birth, unless the birth takes place on a Saturday, in which case the statement of witness is drawn up on the following Monday.

The Speaker, the Prime Minister, the Marshal of the Realm and the Mistress of the Robes are the witnesses. The statement of witness is signed and sealed by these witnesses.

Cabinet meeting
On the occasion of a royal birth, a cabinet meeting is held. The King convenes the cabinet meeting in accordance with chapter 5, § 3 of the Instrument of Government, which states that the Government shall hold a cabinet meeting chaired by the Head of State. Cabinet meetings held at The King's initiative include those held in the event of the birth of an heir to the throne.

At the cabinet meeting, The King informs the Government of the title, name, given name and assigned duchy of the heir to the throne. The cabinet meeting is held on the day after the birth, unless the birth takes place on a Saturday, in which case it is held on the following Monday.

Salute
On the occasion of a royal birth, a salute is fired from Skeppsholmen in Stockholm in accordance with the Swedish Armed Forces' ceremonial provisions (Instruction to the Swedish Armed Forces, ceremonies; Cerl FM 2010). For the firstborn of a Head of State or an heir to the throne, a salute is fired in two rounds, with a one minute interval, of 21 shots each. Salutes are also fired at the salute stations in Boden, Härnösand, Karlskrona and Gothenburg.

Te Deum
On the occasion of a royal birth, a thanksgiving service — the Te Deum — is held. The Te Deum is an ancient church ceremony, which in a royal context takes place in connection with important events in the Royal Family: christenings, birthdays, jubilees and other ceremonial occasions. The last time a Te Deum was held was on 30 April 2006, to mark the occasion of The King's 60th birthday.

The Te Deum is held in the Royal Chapel on the day after the birth, unless the birth takes place on a Saturday, in which case it is held on the following Monday. The invited guests are the immediate family, representatives of the Riksdag and the Government, other representatives of official Sweden and the staff of the Royal Court.

Invitations to the Te Deum were sent out on 1 and 2 February 2012. This is because the Royal Court sends out invitations to major events around one month before the event takes place.

A photo pool will be arranged at the cabinet meeting and the Te Deum.

Marie and newborn Princess leave the hospital

Prince Joachim, Princess Marie and the little Princess left the hospital this morning at about 11 o'clock. They are going to stay in Copenhagen some time and then leave for their home, Schakenborg.