HRH Prince Christian of Denmark turned four on October 15 (wow hasn't that time gone fast). To celebrate, and also because he is half Tasmanian, I thought I would look at his name in more detail. The little Prince, who is also second in line to the Danish throne, has four given names:
Christian: This comes from the Medieval Latin name Christianus, meaning 'a Christian'. Since the 16th Century, first-born sons of the Danish monarchs have traditionally been alternately named Frederik and Christian. As we all know, Christian's father is named Frederik. So, if Christian eventually has a son, he will call him Frederik.
Valdemar: This is the Scandinavian form of Waldemar, and generally means 'rule'. It has been given to the Prince to honour Valdemar IV of Denmark. It is also a common Danish royal name, with Christian's uncle Prince Joachim (Waldemar) and cousin Prince Felix (Valdemar) also having variations of this as one of their names.
Henri: This is the French form of Henry and means 'home ruler'. It has been included in the Prince's name to honour his paternal grandfather Prince Henrik, who was originally named Henri. Henrik is also the name given to Prince Joachim's third son, his first with second wife Princess Marie (he was previously married to Princess Alexandra). Interestingly, on the announcement of this birth, a Danish newspaper reported that Henrik was an unpopular name in Denmark!
John: This comes from Christian's maternal grandfather, John Donaldson. It is also a strong royal name, with many rulers of the past having this as part of their name. It also has links to religion (the New Testament).
As you can see, HRH Prince Christian has been named cleverly. All of his names link to royalty, and two of them actually have meanings that relate to ruling. I think HRH's names are an inspiration for the rest of us to name children thoughtfully!
Love,
The Name Dame
The Name Dame
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