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Sweden

A royal baby for Sweden as Crown Princess Victoria announces her second pregnancy

It’s been announced that Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden is pregnant with her second child. The princess, heir to her country’s throne, is expecting her baby in March 2016. The new prince or princess will be third in line to the Swedish crown.

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, seen with her husband and daughter, has announced she is expecting a second baby next March

There had been widespread speculation in the European press in recent weeks that Victoria was pregnant after she was photographed while on holiday with what looked like the start of a baby bump. The news was confirmed on Friday afternoon at the end of a busy week of engagements for the Crown Princess who in recent days has attended several events with her father, King Carl XVI Gustaf.

Victoria, who is 38 years old, married Daniel Westling in June 2010 in Stockholm in front of a host of royal guests including the Earl and Countess of Wessex. Victoria and Daniel welcomed their first child, Estelle Silvia Ewa Mary, on February 23rd 2012. Princess Estelle is second in line to the throne and succession laws mean that she can’t be overtaken by a baby brother.

The baby will be a fourth grandchild for King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. As well as Estelle, they are grandparents to Princess Leonore who was born in February 2014 and Prince Nicolas who was born in June 2015. They are the children of their youngest daughter, Princess Madeleine, and her husband, Chris O’Neill, who married in June 2013.

And it’s likely that royal baby speculation in Sweden will now focus on Victoria’s brother, Carl Philip, and his new wife, Sofia, who married in June this year just two days before Madeleine gave birth to baby Nicolas.

But for now, Sweden has plenty of royal news to celebrate as its future queen confirms her family is about to grow again.

Photo credit: Kate Gabor and royalcourt.se