Princess Mary gives birth to prince

Princess Mary gives birth to prince

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark has given birth to a healthy baby boy.

The Chief of the Court of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, Per Thornit, said in a statement that Crown Prince Frederik was present at the Rigshospitalet during the birth of their first child.

He also said that "mother and baby are doing fine".

The baby weighed in at 3.5 kilograms and 51 centimetres long and was born at 01:57am (local time).

No name was given for the baby, who is second in line to the Danish throne.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard has congratulated the couple.

"Well I'm very happy the baby arrived safely, congratulations," he said.

Born in Australia as Mary Donaldson, the 33-year-old married Queen Margrethe II's eldest son Frederik, 37, in May 2004.

The couple met in a Sydney bar in September 2000 during the Olympic Games.

It is not known if Danish Government will now still change the country's royal succession law, which in its current form would force a first-born girl to cede the throne to a younger brother.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200510/s1483028.htm