The colourful life of Princess Sofia of Sweden
From her early career to motherhood
Hello, Royal Clubbers, it’s Millie here, and today we’re focusing on the life and times of Princess Sofia of Sweden.
Princess Sofia's rise to royalty has been nothing short of a fairytale, but it hasn't been without its highs and lows.
Her marriage to the second-born son of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden raised some eyebrows over her past life as a glamour model and reality television star, but Prince Carl Philip reportedly said: "It's her or no-one."
In spite of some initial public opposition, Princess Sofia has continued to win over hearts with her dedication to royal life, charity work and motherhood.
Join HELLO! as we take a look back at the life of one of the modern monarchy's most inspiring royal women.
Early life
Sofia was born Sofia Hellqvist on 6 December 1984 in Danderyd, a small but affluent municipality north of Stockholm. Her parents, Marie and Oscar, worked as a marketing manager and employment counsellor respectively, and Sofia is the middle child of three girls.
The future princess took the arts programme at Vansbro Education Centre before kick-starting her career in her early 20s.
Lights, camera, action
Aged 20, Sofia's natural looks earned her a spot as a model for Slitz, a now-defunct Swedish men's magazine. An infamous photoshoot involved the future royal wearing bikini briefs and holding a snake around her upper body. In 2004, readers voted Sofia 'Miss Slitz'.
Reality check
Following her modelling success, Sofia made a brief foray into entertainment when she was cast in Paradise Hotel, a reality TV series similar to Love Island where single people live together in a luxury hotel and pair off together, with the aim of staying to the end. Sofia made it all the way to the final but her reality television career ended there.
The Big Apple
Setting her sights on a different career, Sofia relocated to New York in 2005 and enrolled in an accounting and business development programme. She also worked as a waitress in a pizzeria and as a yoga instructor, gaining an official qualification. It appears she possesses beauty, brains and brawn!
A humanitarian outlook
After a stint in the States, Sofia returned to her home country and undertook courses at Stockholm University on global ethics, child and youth studies, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in theory and Swedish practice, and gender and international relations. This early educational grounding set the Princess up for the passions she would go on to follow in royal life.
A meeting with a Prince
While details are scant as to the actual meet cute for this royal couple, their first meeting is believed to have been at a restaurant in 2010 where they dined with mutual friends who knew each other, and were introduced that way.
"We started with a shy greeting and everything followed," said Prince Carl Philip after their engagement.
"Some people said we clicked from the start," said Sofia in an interview with Swedish TV. "But I could never believe it would end like this. Everyone who knows Carl Philip notices at once that he is an incredibly humble, warm and kind person. The more I got to know him, the more my love for him grew."
They moved in together the following year in Djurgården, an island in the Stockholm archipelago.
Public opposition
True love may have won the day in the end but in the wake of their relationship being publicised, Sofia and her beau faced a backlash, centred largely on Sofia's past career.
Sofia commented on the difficulties in 2018: "People had opinions about me and my relationship, and more. It was very tough. People had comments on everything possible, on what I do and how I look."
However, like a true royal, she took the comments as an opportunity to push for change, speaking out against online bullying.
She said 'yes'!
Public sentiment towards the future Princess soon changed, and in June 2014 the happy couple announced their engagement.
"I was nervous," the Prince said of the proposal, which took place in the morning. "I woke up several times the night before, I don't know if Sofia noticed. I wanted it to be a surprise."
A wedding to remember
A year later, Sofia became a Princess when she married her prince.
Her bachelorette took place at a lavish mansion on the banks of Lake Mälaren, a converted 17th-century manor house with 12 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, a library, hot tub, dining room, home cinema, games room and an English style pub.
She was accompanied by her future sister in-law Crown Princess Victoria, friends and two sisters.
They tied the knot at the royal chapel in Stockholm, wearing a stunning lace dress and train by designer Ida Sjöstedt. In the tradition of Swedish royal brides, she carried a bouquet of myrtle.
Plenty of royals from across Europe were present for the nuptials, including Queen Margrethe and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, King Harald, Queen Sonja, Princess Märtha Louise and Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, as well as the queen of Belgium and the king and queen of the Netherlands. Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex were also in attendance.
In a twist on the traditional, the couple's wedding cake had popping candy in it, and there were also covers of Coldplay and Janet Jackson at the service. The late Swedish DJ Avicii performed at the wedding reception, where a lavish dinner took place in the opulent White Sea Hall, followed by dancing in Karl XI's Gallery.
Building a family
The royal couple immediately began to build their family, welcoming a son, Alexander, in April 2016 and Gabriel in August 2017. Two years after Gabriel's birth, King Carl XVI Gustaf decided that the children of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine would not have royal status, meaning that they would be called prince or princess, but not receive taxpayer funds and are not styled his or her royal highness.
Sofia and Carl Philip welcomed this decision, "We see this as positive as Alexander and Gabriel will have freer choices in life. They will retain their prince titles and their duchies, Södermanland and Dalarna, which we value and are proud of."
The duo welcomed another son, Julian in 2021, and a daughter, Ines, in 2025.
Royal life
As well as raising her young family, Sofia is heavily involved in charitable works, as co-founder of the non-profit organisation Project Playground, a charity that assists underprivileged children in South Africa. Alongside her husband, she founded Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia's Foundation with the aim of combatting bullying.
If this weren’t enough, the Swedish princess is also the honorary chair of Sophiahemmet, a hospital. Sofia's commitment to her work was such that she even volunteered to work there during the coronavirus pandemic, assisting doctors and nurses through kitchen shifts, disinfecting instruments and cleaning.
It would appear that Princess Sofia's aim to "do good" in her royal role has indeed been fulfilled, as the 40-year-old continues to balance her charity work and royal responsibilities with parenting her four young children.
Over to you
What are your perceptions of Princess Sofia? Did you know about her unusual career before marrying into the royal family? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Further reading
POLL: Your favourite Prince Edward moment
No, I did not know about her previous careers.
But caught their Wedding picture and I wanted to know more about her.
She is fulfilling the expectations and is a beautiful lady, worthy of all praise!
Yes, she had a colorful career when she was young, but look at all the education she obtained! She is well rounded and seems to be an excellent wife and mother. Very dedicated to her country.