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As Princess Sofia of Sweden reveals the first photo of her new royal baby, Tatler uncovers the poignant hidden meaning behind the new princess's name and title
Princess Sofia and Prince Carl Philip introduced the world to their new baby daughter today, with royals including King Carl XVI Gustaf, Crown Princess Victoria, and the new princess's rarely seen three brothers gathering to celebrate her new official name and titles
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Princess Sofia has offered royal fans a first glimpse at her first baby daughter as the princess's name and official titles are revealed
Princess Sofia via Instagram @kungahusetPrincess Sofia and Prince Carl Philip of Sweden released the first photo of their adorable baby daughter today, following a milestone ceremony in which the Swedish royal family revealed the name and title of the new princess. The photo was taken by Princess Sofia herself, and shows the newest addition to the family curled up asleep in a blanket.
Prince Carl Philip’s father, King Carl XVI Gustaf, and his sister, Crown Princess Victoria were all in attendance at this very special council of state meeting, as were Princess Sofia’s rarely seen young sons, Prince Alexander, eight, Prince Gabriel, seven, and Prince Julian, three – the trio were all seen sporting matching blue suits at the ceremony held in honour of their new baby sister.
And all the royals were in especially high spirits as King Carl Gustaf informed the government that the newest addition to the family would be called Princess Ines Marie Lilian Silvia. The baby girl, who was born 7 February 2025, also received the title Duchess of Västerbotten. As one might expect for a dynasty so steeped in tradition as the House of Bernadotte, Princess Ines’s name and title has some poignant hidden meanings.
The new royal baby was born at 1:10pm on 7 February, said the King's Marshal of the Realm, and joins Prince Alexander, eight, Prince Gabriel, seven, and Prince Julian, three
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First things first, however. The royal baby’s first name (which has various meanings across cultures, including ‘chaste’, ‘holy’, and ‘pure’) is a true break from tradition for the Swedish royal family – fitting perhaps, as the new Princess’s birth comes after a shift in royal protocol. Following a landmark decision by King Carl Gustaf, Princess Ines will not be styled ‘Her Royal Highness’, despite being a granddaughter of the King.
The royal family made that point clear on their official website, where a statement read: ‘In accordance with His Majesty The King’s decision of 7 October 2019 regarding changes in The Royal House, Princess Ines is a member of the Royal Family but not of The Royal House.’
The missive concluded: ‘The Princess will therefore not enjoy the style of Royal Highness.’
Prince Carl Philip of Sweden and Princess Sofia of Sweden have three sons, but Princess Ines is their first daughter
Iwi Onodera/Getty ImagesBut Princess Ines’ middle names make for heartwarming nods to her relatives. ‘Marie’ is a nod to Princess Sofia’s mother, Marie Britt Rotman. ‘Lilian’ is likely in reference to Prince Carl Philip’s great aunt, Princess Lilian of Sweden, Duchess of Halland. A British model, Lillian May Davies (she dropped the second L after pursuing her fashion career) married Prince Bertil, Duke of Halland in 1976.
The union was not without controversy, as she had been married to the Scottish actor Ivan Craig when she first met the Swedish prince (supposedly at a cocktail party for her 28th birthday). In another touching link to the new royal baby, Prince Bertil was especially close to Prince Carl Philip, having been named the royal’s godfather upon his christening in 1979.
Silvia, of course, is a reference to Princess Ines’s grandmother, Queen Silvia of Sweden. The doting royal will no doubt have been deeply moved by the gesture as she joined the council of state for the official announcement of the baby’s official names and title.
Two namesakes: Queen Silvia of Sweden talks to Princess Lilian during the awarding ceremony of the Nobel Prizes in 2004
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty ImagesPrincess Lilian of Sweden, Duchess of Halland and her husband Prince Bertil, Duke of Halland on summer vacation in their Côte d'Azur home
James Andanson/Getty ImagesAnd as for the title, that too has some equally poignant resonances for Princess Sofia and Prince Carl Philip. The last royal to bear the title Duchess of Västerbotten was Carl Philip’s grandmother, Princess Sibylla. Mother to King Carl Gustaf (as well as to the late Princess Birgitta), Sibylla was granted the title through marriage to Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten (though she certainly had a royal heritage of her own, as the daughter of Charles Edward, the last duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) Princess Sibylla could well have been Queen of Sweden, but the tragic death of Prince Gustaf in a 1947 plane crash meant she never ascended to the throne.
It will have been an emotional day for King Carl Gustaf, then. Surrounded by his family, the 78-year-old witnessed his granddaughter bear the names of his mother and his wife. Perhaps the weight of the occasion got the best of the monarch, who announced Princess Ines’ name as ‘Insa’ – a slip that may also be attributed to the tradition of keeping the Princess’s name a secret until the last moment before the official announcement.
Princess Sibylla with her daughters in 1944
Heritage Images/Getty ImagesPrince Bertil (1912 - 1997), Crown Princess Louise (Louise Mountbatten, 1889 - 1965), Crown Prince (later King) Gustaf VI Adolf (1882 - 1973) and Princess Sibylla (1908 - 1972) look on after T.S Eliot is awarded the Nobel Prize in 1948
Keystone/Getty ImagesAddressing the mishap later, the Royal Court of Sweden stated: ‘The King is very sorry that he said the wrong name. The reason is that the names were kept secret until just before the council, even from the King. He did not feel that he said the wrong name when he read the names, but he understood that later.’
Princess Ines may well be eighth in line to the throne, but an earlier decision from the King means that she cannot claim an HRH styling. During his Christmas address in 2019, King Carl Gustaf revealed that his grandchildren would be stripped of such titles, in order to help them ‘carve out their own future’. Speaking at the time, the sovereign said:
‘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.
‘It will hopefully be helpful when my grandchildren eventually carve out their own future. But, to that day, it is far away.’
Princess Sofia of Sweden attends the Nobel Prize Banquet 2022 at Stockholm City Hall
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty ImagesThe Princess’ birth was announced on Friday, in a statement by the Riksmarskalksämbetet, or the King’s Marshal of the Realm, who delivered the news in a message reading: ‘Riksmarskalksämbetet is pleased to announce that HRH Princess Sofia, on Friday, February 7th, 2025 at 1:10 p.m., gave birth to a healthy and well-being daughter at Danderyd Hospital.’
Princess Sofia and Prince Carl Philip (who is the only son of King Carl XVI Gustav and Queen Silvia) announced that they were expecting their fourth child in an official statement on social media. ‘The boys have received the information and they are very happy and think the whole thing is very exciting!’ read a statement from the Royal Household.
No doubt the entire family shares in their excitement – as do a host of royal watchers, who have celebrated three royal births in the opening months of 2025. Princess Beatrice welcomed her daughter Athena on 22 January, and Princess Maria Laura, the daughter of Princess Astrid and the niece of King Philippe of Belgium, gave birth to baby Albert on Sunday 26 January.
