Princess Ines, the youngest member of Sweden’s royal family, has celebrated her first birthday.
Her parents, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia, released a new photograph of their daughter to mark the milestone on February 7.
The photo was released just hours after the Royal House were forced to issue a statement explaining why Princess Sofia had withdrawn from a scheduled engagement, following a prolonged and noticeable absence from official duties.
In the image, Princess Ines is wearing a blue dress with a matching hair bow.
Alongside the photo, the couple wrote, “Today we celebrate our little ray of sunshine Ines, who turns 1 year old.”
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Princess Ines Marie Lilian Silvia, Duchess of Västerbotten, was born on February 7.
She is the fourth child and only daughter of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia. The couple also share three sons: Prince Alexander, nine, Prince Gabriel, eight, and Prince Julian, four.
The young princess is eighth in the line of succession to the Swedish throne and the ninth grandchild of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia.
Princess Sofia spent much of 2025 on maternity leave after Princess Ines’ birth, attending only a limited number of engagements, including the King’s birthday and Sweden’s National Day.
Princess Ines made her public debut on April 30, appearing on the balcony of the Royal Palace in Stockholm during celebrations for King Carl XVI Gustaf’s birthday.
On June 6, she was cradled by her mother as Princess Sofia and Prince Carl Philip opened the southern gates of the palace for National Day festivities.
Princess Sofia did not attend several major royal events during the year, including the Nobel Prize Awards in December.
Around the time of the Nobel event, media reports resurfaced concerning Princess Sofia’s past association with Jeffrey Epstein.
In 2005, prior to her marriage to Prince Carl Philip, Sofia Hellqvist – as she was then known – met Epstein several times in New York.
Nothing untoward is said to have occurred during the encounters, which reportedly took place while she was a student in Manhattan.
The Royal House of Sweden confirmed to Dagens Nyheter that Princess Sofia was “introduced to the person in question on a few occasions around 2005”.
According to the Royal House, she had no contact with Epstein after 2005 and did not accept an invitation to visit his private island.
Observers in Sweden have also noted Princess Sofia’s limited public appearances in recent months.
She has not been seen with the royal family since Princess Ines’ baptism in June.
Last week, Princess Sofia cancelled a scheduled appearance at the palace on February 2, where she was due to attend alongside the King, Queen, Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel.
Margareta Thorgren, head of communications for the Royal House, said the princess had fallen ill.
“The princess, like several others, has a cold,” Thorgren told Svensk Damtidning.
Queen Silvia also cancelled due to illness.
“She doesn’t want to spread the infection,” King Carl XVI Gustaf later said of his wife.
Thorgren recently addressed Princess Sofia’s reduced schedule, stating, “[In 2025] Princess Sofia chose to focus on her family and the newborn family member. For natural reasons, now that Princess Ines is almost a year old, the princess will work to a greater extent and be more active with her assignments.”
Princess Sofia is expected to resume public engagements on February 10, when she and Prince Carl Philip will attend an event in the capital marking Safer Internet Day. The initiative aims to promote a safer online environment for young people.
The couple will attend in support of their foundation, which focuses on online safety and anti-bullying efforts, as well as reducing the stigma surrounding dyslexia – a condition Prince Carl Philip has publicly spoken about.
Images: Instagram
