Prince Julian of Sweden, the son of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia, has often been compared to Prince Louis thanks to his playful personality. The prince once again showed off his cheeky side in two new photos released by his parents to celebrate his fourth birthday.
Posting to their official Instagram account on 26 March, Princess Sofia and Prince Carl Philip (who is the son of King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia and currently sits at fourth in line to the Swedish throne), shared some adorable snapshots of their son with fans and followers.
‘Today we celebrate our exuberant Julian who turns 4 years old,’ read the caption of the post, which showed Prince Julian wrapped up in a comfy blue cardigan and smart white shirt with navy blue piping. In the first snapshot, the Prince looks directly into the camera, with royal watchers quick to compliment his striking icy blue eyes, which looked the spitting image of his mother. In the second image, Julian covers his hand with his mouth as he giggles, his blonde hair swept back behind his ears.
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This is, of course, not the first time that Prince Julian has stolen the show in some family photographs. Back in July 2024, Princess Sofia and Prince Carl Philip posted a candid portrait of their brood to celebrate summer. The family looked picture perfect, with the proud royal parents joined by their three children: Prince Alexander, eight; Prince Gabriel, seven; and Prince Julian (they have since welcomed a new addition, Princess Ines, this February).
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All three of the children were in high spirits, beaming into the camera as they joined a beloved dog on a wooden bench. It was Prince Julian, however, who drew the most attention. Sitting on his mother’s lap, the young royal won hearts with his playful pout – a cheeky pose that drew comparisons to Prince Louis’ famous Superman pose at Trooping the Colour 2023 and his much-adored temper tantrums during the Platinum Jubilee flypast from the Buckingham Palace balcony.
Indeed, Prince Julian’s birthday photos have another resemblance to Prince Louis, who is two years older than his Swedish counterpart: his nautical-looking shirt bears a striking similarity to Louis’s sailor-themed garb at the Platinum Jubilee.
The four-year-old is already making his mark on royal duties, with one memorable outing coming at a playground opening in June 2024. The park had been named after Prince Julian, and as he joined his parents to cut the ribbon, he showcased his daredevil personality as he ran around the playground, sticking out his tongue in a Ralph Lauren jumper. Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia watched on as their son careered down slides, looked through a telescope, and played with a bandstand microphone.
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Perhaps Julian was always going to be a unique royal presence for the House of Bernadotte: he was breaking new ground for the family from the moment he was born in 2021. Prince Julian was the first royal baby welcomed after his grandfather King Carl Gustaf’s controversial 2019 ruling that the children of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine would no longer bear HRH stylings and would be free from any duties requiring them to represent the head of state. Prince Julian was the first royal born under this new law, so while he bears a prince title and is known as the Duke of Halland, he is not referred to as His Royal Highness.
The Prince’s christening on 14 August 2021 was also a historic occasion. The royal family broke a 43-year tradition after it was revealed that the event at Drottningholm Palace would not be televised live – the first time since the christening of Crown Princess Victoria in 1977. The day was still joyous, of course. King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia were in attendance at the celebrations, as were Crown Princess Victoria and her husband, Prince Daniel, accompanying their children, Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar. Prince Carl Philip's youngest sibling, Princess Madeleine, was also there with her American husband Christopher O'Neill and their three children: Princess Leonore, Prince Nicolas, and Princess Adrienne. Also in attendance were Prince Julian's godparents, Johan Andersson, Stina Andersson, Patrick Sommerlath, Jacob Högfeldt, and Frida Vesterberg.
The young prince wore the same christening gown that his father had worn in 1979. The family heirloom was first worn by King Carl XVI Gustaf’s grandfather, Prince Gustaf Adolf, at his christening in 1906. The lace gown comes with a cream cape, which, since 1935, has had the names of Sweden's royal babies embroidered on to it.
And as the House of Bernadotte celebrates Prince Julian’s fourth birthday, they will no doubt be struck by just how fast the young royal is growing up!
