The youngest Swedish royal was a hit with the whole family as they celebrated the King's milestone
Credit: Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden celebrated his 80th birthday on April 30
- The King’s three children and their own children gathered at the royal palace in Stockholm for a day of ceremony to celebrate the monarch
- The King’s youngest granddaughter, Princess Ines, stole the show with her adorable attempts at giving a royal wave
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden had the whole country celebrating his 80th birthday, but it was the youngest member of the royal family who stole the show.
The King and his family celebrated the milestone at the Royal Palace in Sweden, with a Thanksgiving service and a family appearance on the balcony above the outer courtyard. There, they watched the tributes from the Swedish Armed Forces: the changing of the guard, an airborne flypast and a performance by the Royal Swedish Marching Band.
However, some of the most eye-catching moments came from the King's 14-month-old granddaughter, Princess Ines. Baby Ines is the fourth and youngest child of the King's son, Prince Carl Philip, and his wife, Princess Sofia. The little princess remained in good spirits throughout the day, allowing both of her parents to hold her, as well as her grandmother, Queen Silvia, and even her 14-year-old cousin, Princess Estelle.
Credit: Michael Campanella/Getty
She couldn't help but steal the spotlight on occasion, like when she wrestled off her tiny white cloak to join the other members of the family in waving to the crowds
In another sweet moment, Ines was excited to be doted on by her grandmother.
Credit: Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP via Getty
She also got some cousin love from Princess Estelle while their male cousins — Estelle's younger brother, Prince Oscar, 10, and Ines' older brothers, Prince Alexander, 10, Prince Gabriel, 8, and Prince Julian, 5 — did their best to behave themselves on the balcony.
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Prince Julian, barely able to see above the railing, had his own viral moment as he showed off some impromptu dance moves!
Credit: Patrick van Katwijk/Getty
This year marks 53 years on the throne for King Carl XVI Gustaf, making him the longest-reigning monarch in Swedish history and the second-longest-serving current head of state.
While he has yet to announce plans to step down, the monarch made a major move to shape the future of the royal family in 2019. He announced that he was stripping the official HRH (His/Her Royal Highness) titles from the children of Prince Carl Philip and his younger sister, Princess Madeleine.
“Earlier this year, I made a decision to define what is called the royal house. The decision was to make clear who within the royal family will act as official representatives of Sweden in the future. For me, this is a way of clarifying what expectations are,” the King said in his announcement.
“It will hopefully be helpful when my grandchildren eventually carve out their own future. But, to that day, it is far away," he continued.
The only grandchildren who still have their HRH titles are the children of his direct heir, Crown Princess Victoria, and her husband, Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland: Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar.
The King said at the time, “The Queen and I are looking forward to spending time with the family… It is not always so peaceful and quiet, but very funny!” he said.
Prince Carl Philip responded to the decision to strip his children of their titles in a social media statement, saying in part, “Today, the King announced the decision that our children no longer hold the Royal Highness position. We see this as positive as [our children] will have freer choices in life.”
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