As a member of the royal family, Princes and Princesses are expected to carry out official engagements throughout their lifetime, but in Sweden, they start them young! Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia's son Prince Alexander will undertake his very first proper engagement next week on Thursday 23 August, the palace has announced.
Alexander, who is styled as His Royal Highness Prince Alexander of Sweden, Duke of Södermanland, will follow in his family's footsteps and visit his duchy Södermanland, located on the south eastern coast of the country. The little boy, accompanied by Sofia and Carl Philip, will visit the Nynäs nature reserve where he is expected to take part in a walkabout to meet well-wishers, as well as enjoy other outdoorsy activities.
Prince Alexander will carry out his first engagement next week. Photo: Erika Gerdemark, Royal Court, Sweden
The Swedish royals have a tradition of carrying out engagements from a very young age. Alexander's cousins Princess Estelle, the six-year-old daughter of Crown Princess Victoria, and Princess Leonore, the four-year-old daughter of Princess Madeleine, both visited their duchies at the tender age of two.
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© Photo: Getty ImagesThe little boy will be accompanied by his parents Sofia and Carl Philip
Leonore, who is styled as the Duchess of Gotland, could hardly contain her excitement during her visit to Gotland province in June 2016, when she was seen running around on a horse farm. Her cousin Estelle, the Duchess of Östergötland, showed off her impeccable manners on a visit to her province, shaking hands with the flag-bearing crowd.
In a similar way, the British royal family also carry out engagements from a young age. Prince William and Kate's son, Prince George, who is third-in-line to the throne, was around the same age when he attended the Royal International Air Tattoo in Gloucestershire. George excitedly inspected all the aircraft, and was heard asking his mum Kate, "Mummy, can I fly the Red Arrow now?" His dad William gently replied: "Not right now."
Take a look back to when William and Kate visited Sweden:
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George's very first public engagement however took place overseas in April 2014, when the future King attended a play date in his honour during his parents' tour of Australia and New Zealand. George, who met children from ten other families, made quite an impression on his fellow guests. According to one parent the young Prince was "quite a bruiser" and was impeccably behaved – albeit one minor incident with a little girl called Paige, who he made cry after grabbing her wooden toy doll.
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