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European RoyalsSweden

Prince Carl Philip to step away from racing in 2019 to focus on family

Prince Carl Philip of Sweden has been passionate about racing for years and competed in the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship. But with two young children and a busy schedule of royal engagements, it seems the Swedish prince will be taking some time out from the sport. 

On Thursday he shared an adorable snap of himself with Prince Alexander at a motorway on his official Instagram account, along with some news.

“In 2019 I will focus my time on the family and instead look forward to 2020 when it comes to racing,” he wrote.

While he won’t be competing officially, he added that he would keep his driving skills up throughout the year.

Prince Carl Philip inherited the racing gene from his great-uncle and godfather, Prince Bertil, who competed as a race-car driver in the 1930s under the pseudonym “Monsieur Adrian” because of his royal title.

The Prince also shares his love of fast cars with his father, King Carl XVI Gustaf. Although the King doesn’t race, he has supported his son at his races and is known to drive his sports cars at high speed.

Prince Carl Philip driving for Volvo Polestar Racing at Falkenbergs Motorbana, during the fourth round of the 2015 Scandinavian Touring Car Championship (STCC) season. Photo: Jerry Karlgren (CC BY 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons

While we won’t see Prince Carl Philip on the racing circuit this year, he will continue to support younger kart drivers through the Prince Carl Philip Racing Cup. Created in 2013, the Prince designed the race to help young kart racing talents progress in the sport. The cup gives prizes in three classes, and the top three racers in each class also are given the opportunity to drive formula racing cars and circuit racing cars.

About author

Kristin was Chief Reporter for Royal Central until 2022 and has been following the British royal family for more than 30 years. Kristin has appeared in UK and U.S. media outlets discussing the British royals including BBC Breakfast, BBC World News, Sky News, the Associated Press, TIME, The Washington Post, and many others.