A special update is in order for some special news: Prince Carl Philip of Sweden is engaged to his longtime girlfriend Sofia Hellqvist! Carl Philip, 35, and Sofia, 29, will marry in the summer of 2015.
The news was announced in a hastily called press conference on Friday and the couple said the engagement had happened that morning (although they were already having what was reported as an engagement party on Friday night, as you can see in the Expressen tweet below, so maybe there was a bit of advance planning? Not that it really matters...). The timing of the announcement was a surprise, but the news really wasn't for those that follow the family; Sofia's been a fixture in Carl Philip's life for several years, and they share a home. The happy couple was joined by the King and Queen at the press conference, and Queen Silvia couldn't help but note that they had been waiting for this news just like the rest of us.
Sofia wore a red Roland Mouret dress and showed off her engagement ring, a round diamond with a diamond surround and a diamond-set split shank band.
Again, they've announced that the wedding will be next summer, dates and all the rest to come. As far as attendance and scope, my personal guess is we're in for something like what Princess Madeleine and Chris O'Neill had, but we'll just have to see what happens.
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| The newly engaged couple with the King and Queen following the announcement. Photo: kungahuset.se |
Sofia Hellqvist reveals her stunning engagement ring! What do you think? http://t.co/MjXo8VyEGc pic.twitter.com/GgrrQGCEbw
— HELLO! (@hellomag) June 27, 2014As seems to be the time-honored tradition of a royal engagement, the new family member is welcomed by a rousing round of criticism using anything the press and the public can get their hands on. In this case, Sofia comes rife with material, since her pre-CP days included some modeling (of the scantily-clad and, uh, occasionally un-clad varieties) and a turn on a reality show. The backlash won't be anything new for her, since the rumblings have been there since her relationship with Carl Philip was first disclosed back in 2010. There were the obligatory initial reports of family disapproval (how right or wrong those were, we'll never know), but in the past few years she seems to have been accepted by the royal family, including attending public family events. She's put an emphasis on her charity work during her relationship with the prince.JUST NU: Här är det hemliga firandet på slottet. http://t.co/nZ2NAzf3K3 pic.twitter.com/MT4xlXzfDZ
— Expressen (@Expressen) June 27, 2014I know there are mixed reactions out there to the engagement, but we can all unite on the superficial level - that's what we're here for, folks, as far as this particular blog is concerned - and look forward to another tiara-filled Scandinavian wedding. Right?Again, they've announced that the wedding will be next summer, dates and all the rest to come. As far as attendance and scope, my personal guess is we're in for something like what Princess Madeleine and Chris O'Neill had, but we'll just have to see what happens.
