God Jul! That's Merry Christmas in Swedish, if you didn't know. Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia of Sweden sent their fans a special holiday message when they released a new video and photo of their family this past weekend to celebrate the holiday season.
In the picture, the couple, who are expecting their third child next year, can be seen seated in a gorgeous living room that's adorned with evergreens on the fireplace, red candles and garlands and a poinsettia and gorgeous Christmas tree. Their children, Prince Alexander and Prince Gabriel, are seated in their laps. Alexander holds a star, while Gabriel wears a brown Santa cap.
Photo; © Victor Ericsson, Kungl. Hovstaterna / Victor Ericsson, The Royal Court of Sweden
"Happy 3rd [week of] Advent and Happy Lucia from us!" the Duke and Duchess of Värmland wrote while sharing the photo and clip on Instagram. "We also want to express our warmest thanks for all the nice congratulations to our growing family."
The video is warm and inviting, beginning with a shot of their fireplace, where stockings have been hung with care. It sees Carl Philip asking Gabriel to help light an Advent wreath. The boys get very into it. The clip is entirely in Swedish, but fans will still find it adorable.
Lucia is also known as St. Lucy's Day. It's observed by Catholics, Lutherans and Anglicans, and honours a martyr who brought food to Christians hiding in the Roman catacombs in the 300s. St. Lucy's story says she lit her way through the dark passages under the ancient city by placing a wreath on her head.
This is the second photo the couple released in the last week. As mentioned, Carl Philip and Sofia are expecting their third child. The baby will be born sometime around March or April, according to the Swedish royal family. To celebrate their happy news last week, they shared a black-and-white photo of them embracing by the arms, smiling with joy at the camera. Their news came after it was reported they had tested positive for COVID-19 in November. They've since recovered.