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Proud parents Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden celebrate as two-month-old Princess Estelle is christened in biggest royal occasion since their own wedding
By
Richard Orange In Uppsala
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It will be the first of a lifetime of official engagements for Europe’s newest Royal heir.
Princess Estelle, second in line to the Swedish throne, was christened just after noon Tuesday, May 22, in the gilded marble splendor of the royal chapel in Stockholm.
To the laughter of her mother, Crown Princess Victoria, the child let out a loud gurgle as she was brought to the font, which echoed around the church.
Victoria then beamed with pride for the rest of the ceremony, her daughter's long white christening gown, which has been used by the Swedish royals since 1907, draped over her knees.Â
Royal family: Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden celebrated the christening of their daughter Princess Estelle at the Royal Chapel in Stockholm today
Proud parents: Crown Princess Victoria, who married her former gym trainer Daniel in a ceremony in 2010, hold Princess Estelle, wearing a gown that has been used for Swedish royal christenings since 1907
Tribute: Estelle's uncle Prince Carl Philip, poured the water into the font, which had been brought personally to Stockholm by the King from the royal residence on the island of Oland
The christening was Sweden's biggest royal event since Victoria wed Daniel, her former gym trainer, two years ago.
Queen Margrethe of Denmark, her heir Crown Prince Frederik, and his Australian wife Mary, flew to Sweden to pay their regards, along with the Crown Princes of Belgium, Norway, and The Netherlands, and the Presidents of Iceland and Finland.
Estelle's uncle Prince Carl Philip, one of the five godparents, poured the water into the font, which had been brought personally to Stockholm by the King from the royal residence on the island of Oland.Â
Estelle’s other godparents were Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, and her paternal aunt, Anna Westling Söderström.Â
As the parents left the church with their daughter, they were met with a gun salute, with round after round fired over the waters of Stockholm harbour.
Royal occasion: The Archbishop of Uppsala presided over the ceremony, which was the biggest royal event in Sweden since the marriage of Victoria and Daniel
Lighthearted: Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria laughed as Princess Estelle's giggle rang out through the church at today's ceremony
No member of the British Royal family was present, due to prior engagements. But a spokesman for Buckingham Palace pointed out that The Queen had met and entertained Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Sylvia at Windsor Castle on Friday.
'It's a historic day,' said Sweden's Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt as he entered the church. 'We will now have a new era of Queens that will follow the present King, therefore that's a very important occasion.'
Estelle was born on February 23, weighing 7lb 3oz. She bears the title Duchess of Ostergotland, a province in southeast Sweden.
Estelle's birth on February 23 was greeted by two 21-gun salutes on Skeppsholmen island, opposite the royal palace in the capital Stockholm.
Sweden changed its constitution in 1980, three years after Victoria was born, to allow the eldest heir to inherit the throne regardless of gender.
Her mother, Crown Princess Victoria, 34 who married her former personal trainer Daniel, 38, in June 2010, is first in line.
Estelle's birth ended a spell of bad news for the Swedish royals. Carl XVI Gustaf has been dogged by news stories concerning his alleged youthful visits to strip clubs, and his wife Sylvia has faced down claims that her German-Brazilian father benefited from membership of the Nazi party, taking over a factory in Hamburg from a Jewish businessman.
Important occasion: 'It's a historic day,' said Sweden's Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt as he entered the church. 'We will now have a new era of Queens that will follow the present King'
Family ties:
Princess Estelle's godparents will be her uncle, Prince Carl Philip, Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, and her paternal aunt, Anna Westling Söderström
Celebration: Estelle was born on February 23, weighing 7lb 3oz, and bears the title Duchess of Ostergotland, a province in southeast Sweden
Heiress: Princess Estelle Silvia Ewa Mary of Sweden is second in line to the throne and will succeed her mother even if the royal two go on to have a son, thanks to a recent change in Swedish constitution
Guests: Princess Maxima of Holland, Prince Frederik of Denmark and Princess Madeleine of Sweden attended the christening of the new Swedish heir, but the British royals were absent owing to prior engagements
Joy: Sweden's Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel hold their three-week-old daughter during her first official photoshoot two months ago
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What? No Christening shawl? I don't think that's legal.
