| Australians Prepare to Raise a Toast For Their 'Kingaroo' |
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| Written by Joanne Leyland | ||||
| Thursday, 19 January 2006 | ||||
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The christening of the future King of Denmark is only due to take place on Saturday morning, but the celebrations are set to start early in Crown Princess Mary's homeland, with the first of several events to mark the baptism of Mary and Frederik's son getting underway in Australia on Thursday. Although the country overwhelmingly voted to keep Elizabeth II as Queen of Australia in a November 1999 referendum, the stark fact is the House of Windsor has been overtaken in the popularity stakes Down Under by the hugely respected and dignified local girl who is now destined to be the first Australian ever to sit on a throne.  The romance of the former Sydney estate agent and one of the world's most eligible bachelors has understandably captivated a country whose earlier love affair with another fairytale couple — Charles and Diana — came to a sensational end in January 1993 with the 'World Exclusive' publication by the Australian New Idea magazine of the transcript of the Camillagate tapes in which the Prince of Wales and his mistress engaged in a secretly recorded telephone conversation of an embarrassingly sexual nature. Ever since Tasmanian-born Mary married Queen Margarethe's son and heir in May 2004, the Australian and Danish governments have enjoyed the opportunity to further strengthen diplomatic relations between the two countries. On Thursday evening, the Danish Consular General will host a 'Royal Danish Christening Party' in Sydney, with an appearance by award-winning Australian chart topper Alex Lloyd, a favourite of the royal couple. Speaking about the forthcoming christening of the as-yet unnamed Prince— make that "officially unnamed" as the Aussies have already dubbed the little boy 'Kingaroo', a name which even his Mum has apparently taken to calling him! — Sydney-based Danish Consul General Jorgen Mollegaard says: "This is a very happy and joyous occasion for the Royal Family. We feel how the Crown Princess's old home country has created such a strong connection with Denmark and so we, of course, find this a great opportunity to celebrate the baby and wave the Danish flag down under". If they're all still standing after a night of celebrations, the partying continues between 7am and 10am on Friday morning, when the Trade Commission of Denmark and the Royal Danish Consulate General throw yet another 'Baby Shower' at Sydney Customs House Forecourt. Highlights of the event will be broadcast live on breakfast television via Channel 9's Today Show. One person who won't be in attendance at the Sydney festivities is Mary's best friend, Amber Petty. The arrival of the Princess's bridesmaid caused a frisson of excitement in the Danish and Australian newspapers due to claims Mary had "banned" Amber's new boyfriend, hotelier Mark Alexander-Erber, from attending the christening due to his alleged links to a "bikie group". Unlike the baptism exactly a week earlier of Princess Leonor of Spain, the Danish Royal Family are truly rolling out the red carpet for the naming of their future King, with the ceremony expected to last up to two hours. The first significant event on Saturday morning will come just an hour before the christening, when the official guest list of around three hundred people, including several European royals, will finally be revealed. As to be expected, much speculation has surrounded the choice of Godparents, the latest suggestion being they will include Mary's sister Jane Stephens, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and, according to speculation in Danish newspaper BT, possibly Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Frederik's brother Prince Joachim. After months of hype and speculation, the christening itself will finally get underway at 11am local time (10am UK) when, a little over three months since his birth on October 15th, the world will finally discover the name of the future King. The majority of media and public alike expect the Prince will be named Christian, this or Frederik being the traditional name for heirs to the throne. Rest assured we'll be working throughout the weekend to bring you all the pictures and news from Denmark. Please feel welcome to offer your opinions on this and any other royal story by visiting our Royal Forum or via our Comments section below. Comment on this article
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