It's a Princess!

Once again, Scandinavian bloodlines have been extended with the birth of a future ruler! This time in Denmark. Denmark's royal palace has announced that French-born Princess Marie has given birth to her second child, a girl. Due to Danish tradition, the child's name is not revealed until the christening ceremony.

The mother of the new princess is Royal Highness Princess Marie of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat.The proud father is His Royal Highness Prince Joachim Holger Waldemar Christian, Prince of Denmark. The Prince is the second son of HM Queen Margrethe II and HRH Prince Consort Henrik, and the new-born princess becomes tenth in line to the throne.

Marie Cavallier was born in Paris, France , later moving to Switzerland where she attended boarding school. After graduating, She then enrolled at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts and Geneva, Switzerland to study international business and economics. While on a Switzerland outing in 2005, she was noticed by Prince Joachim. After their courtship, Joachim and Marie married in May 2008. Marie gave up her French citizenship and converted to Lutheranism. The newborn is the couple's second child.

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The 42 year-old prince has two sons from a previous marriage with Hong Kong-born Alexandra Manley. The couple divorced in 2005, the first Royal split in 160 years in Europe's oldest monarchy.

Prince Joachim has a lengthy military record, beginning in 1987 while serving as a Platoon Commander of a tank squadron, rising in the ranks to commander in the Prince's Own Regiment, and remains active in the defense reserve at HQ Danish Division.

--------------------- The happy grandmother is HM Queen Margrethe II who, on January 14, 2012 celebrated her 40th year on the throne. As Queen, she serves as the Colonel-in-Chief of the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment. Other than that, the Danish Queen's duties are to represent the Kingdom abroad and to be a unifying figurehead of Denmark. As an unelected public official, she takes no part in politics . Although she has the right, she opts not to vote in order to avoid partisanship.The Queen and Prince Consort Henrik have two children and eight grandchildren.

The Royal Family of Norway descends from Frederick VIII of Denmark, Queen Margrethe II's great-grandfather Haakon VII of Norway.

Mother and daughter are reported to be doing well!