Twins born into Danish royal family christened (photos)

Australian family and friends of Denmark's Crown Princess Mary have become godparents to her twin babies, named Vincent and Josephine during a christening in Copenhagen.

The twins, a boy and a girl born on January 8, were baptised at Holmen's Church in the Danish capital yesterday.

Prince Vincent Frederik Minik Alexander and Princess Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda are the third and fourth children for Hobart-born Mary and Crown Prince Frederik.

They are siblings for Prince Christian, five, and Princess Isabella, who turns four next week.

The names of the youngsters were offered to Bishop Erik Norman Svendsen by their parents during a service attended by more than 300 well-wishers.

Mary's brother, John Stuart Donaldson, became one of six godparents to Prince Vincent, while one of her two sisters, Patricia Bailey, and her friend Josephine Rechner were named as godmothers to Princess Josephine.

In keeping with Danish royal tradition, the names of the new prince and princess have been kept secret since their birth and news from Holmen's Church yesterday quickly spread around the globe.

The children were each given a Greenlandic name, Minik and Ivalo, in honour of Denmark's autonomous territory, Danish media report.

The name Sophia has links to the twins' maternal great grandmother, Queen Consort of Denmark - Ingrid Victoria Sofia Louise Margareta - who died in 2000.

Both babies wore long, traditional christening robes.

Prince Vincent's Brussels lace robe with bonnet was made for the 1870 christening of Prince Christian and has also been worn by both his siblings, his father and his grandmother, Queen Margrethe.

Princess Josephine's robe, although never worn before, dates back to the 1940s and is believed to have been a gift to Queen Ingrid on the birth of the now Queen.

The twins' maternal grandfather was also present at yesterday's christening.

Professor John Donaldson, formerly of Hobart, smiled at crowds as he arrived at the church just a short time before his daughter.

Mary, 39, wearing a royal blue dress with a cream-coloured head piece and 43-year-old Frederik carried the twins and were accompanied by a suited Christian, who waved to the crowds and held hands with his younger sister, Isabella, looking pretty in a light pink dress.

A reception for close family and friends was planned for yesterday evening at Frederik and Mary's home.

Australian interest in the Danish royals has peaked since Mary and Frederik met in Sydney in 2000 and were later married.

The Tasmanian government plans to send christening gifts to Denmark, the Hobart Mercury newspaper reports.

Handcrafted timber boxes will be filled with Tasmanian children's books and shipped to Copenhagen.

- AAP