Denmark's Princess Mary pregnant with second child

COPENHAGEN - Denmark's Australian-born Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik, heir to the throne, are expecting their second child by the beginning of May, the Danish royal court has said.

"Their Royal Highnesses The Crown Prince and Crown Princess are happy to announce the pregnancy of Crown Princess Mary," the court said in a statement.

The princess, 34, was Mary Donaldson, a real estate agent from Tasmania, until she married Frederik in May 2004 after a romance that began when they met in a Sydney bar during the 2000 Olympics.

Frederik's mother Queen Margrethe and the royal family are highly popular in Denmark. Said to be Europe's oldest royal house, their lineage dates back to the Viking king Gorm the Old, who died in 958.

The Crown Princess will continue to fulfil her official duties as long as possible, the court said.

The couple's first child Prince Christian was born on October 15, 2005.

- REUTERS