Prince Gabriel of Sweden, Duke of Dalarna, has officially visited his duchy for the first time and saw his christening gift on Thursday, 27 August, alongside his parents, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia.
The family, minus older brother Prince Alexander, visited the Säterdalen nature reserve to see the first of two gifts the people from the area gave him as a christening gift in 2017. The first gift was “Prince Gabriel’s Rest Area” and the second gift was “Prince Gabriel’s Ski Trail” intended for children in Koppången’s nature reserve in Orsa.
Also joining the royals for the opening of the rest area was Dalarna’s governor Ylva Thörn, Säter’s municipal councilor Mats Nilsson and municipal director Marita Skog.
The ongoing pandemic meant that only a few people attended the inauguration of the christening gift.
While there, Prince Gabriel painted a birdhouse with his parents which is now on display alongside a bench his parents received as a gift for their wedding in 2015. It is located in the bird village area.
Dalarna is a special place for the family as it is where Sofia grew up.
On Instagram, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia wrote: “As Duke of Dalarna, Gabriel yesterday inaugurated a gift he received from Dalarna County in connection with his baptism. A fantastic accessibility-adapted resting place in the Säterdalen nature reserve with a rich plant and nature life.
“We hope that the rest area will be an appreciated feature for the nature reserve’s many visitors.
“It is definitely a new favourite place for us to visit. There is now also a birdhouse that Gabriel has painted and a “sibling” for the bench in the river valley on Hykjeberget that we received as a gift in connection with our wedding.”
Prince Gabriel’s Rest Area is now open to the public; Prince Gabriel’s Ski Trail will open in the winter.
Young Gabriel will celebrate his third birthday in just a few days time on 31 August.
