News of Norway, April29, 2003
Maud Angelica is the first child of the 31-year-old princess and her husband Ari Behn, who were married in Trondheim in May of last year. The baby will not be given the title of Princess, although it is third in line to the throne, after her mother, her uncle Crown Prince Haakon and her grandfather King Harald.
Traditionally modern
The couple did not know the sex of the newborn until she was born. Norwegian media have been speculating for weeks about the name of the baby, and many suggested that Princess Märtha and Ari Behn would choose a combination of a traditional and a modern name.
Maud Angelica is just this: the first name is inherited from Princess Märtha's great grandmother Queen Maud, who became queen of Norway in 1905 when the union with Sweden was ended. The second name is indeed modern - the name Angelica has not featured among members of the Norwegian Royal Family before.
"Isn't the name beautiful?" Wenche Rasch, the Palace's spokesperson, asked the press outside the hospital where the Princess had just given birth.
She added that the birth went well and without complications.
American start
Princess Märtha and Ari Behn will not let the child experience much of Norway during its first steps through life. The couple is moving to New York this fall, a move that will give young Maud Angelica an upbringing quite different from the one Princess Märtha experienced:The princess spent her childhood years among farm animals at beautiful Skaugum outside Oslo.
The couple have received a large number of congratulations after bringing Maud Angelica into this world. The Royal Palace even opened its doors to allow visitors to sign a book of congratulations.
Among the first to send his best wishes was the President of the Norwegian Parliament, Mr. Jørgen Kosmo.
"I, along with the entire Parliament, wish to send our dearest congratulations to the couple and to the newborn. We hope they remain in good health in the future," Mr. Kosmo said.
Now you can join in on the celebration - send your congratulations to the couple here! (write your name where it says "Ditt navn" and where you are from in the space next to "Bosted". Write your message in the space under "Din hilsen" and click "Send" when you are done.
International attention
Royal news is big news, and the world's media outlets have noticed the addition to the Norwegian Royal family.