Prince Carl Philip has been busy making last-minute arrangements for his upcoming wedding, but one thing he didn't plan on was being whisked off to Greece for a surprise bachelor party weekend. On Thursday, the groom-to-be was "kidnapped" by his closest friends to celebrate his final days as a single man.The Swedish royal, whose bags had been secretly been packed by his future wife Sofia Hellqvist, was spotted with a group of his pals at Stockholm's Arlanda Airport boarding a flight to Athens.
According to local media outlet the Expressen, it was Crown Princess Victoria who planned her younger brother's surprise party much like he did for her before she tied the knot with Prince Daniel in 2010.Keen to surprise Carl Philip as much as possible, Victoria planned the trip as close to the prince's meetings as possible so he wouldn't suspect anything. On Thursday morning, he joined the rest of the royal family for the 69th birthday celebrations of his father King Carl Gustaf, then in the afternoon he was taken to the airport by his pals.Once on board the plane, the party was met by enthusiastic flight attendants and the prince was given several special gifts. The party is said to have enjoyed a few bottles of wine on the flight before they touched down on Greek soil after going via Frankfurt.
On the Friday, the royal and his friends enjoyed a boat trip to the paradise island of Aegina, and in the evening had dinner at an upscale restaurant near the port of Piraeus. The next day, they were spotted in a complex close to the beach and were said to be wearing matching swimming trunks. Then at night the stags went to a club on the outskirts of Athens, again all dressed similarly in jackets, dark trousers and shirts.
After three days away, the prince was in for a final surprise on the way home to Stockholm — he got to sit in the cockpit with the pilots for part of the flight.
Among those helping Carl Philip bid farewell to single life were his childhood friends Mikael Skog, Jan-Åke Hansson, who shared a room with him at Lundsberg boarding school, and Richard af Trolle, who introduced the prince to his future wife five years ago. Those absent included Prince Daniel, who was unable to attend since he was traveling with Princess Victoria, and his brother-in-law Chris O'Neill, who was also missing from the Swedish king's birthday celebrations last Thursday.