escenic (original) (raw)

Prince Carl Philip, who is second in line to the throne, broke off his decade-long relationship with an advertising executive after meeting the 25 year-old bikini model Sofia Hellqvist.

Miss Hellqvist shot to fame when she posed for a Swedish men's magazine, Slitz, with only a pair of bikini bottoms and a writhing, mottled snake to preserve her modesty.

News of the love affair between the prince and Miss Hellqvist has captivated Swedish society. While he is believed to have met his new girlfriend's family, it is understood that she has not been introduced any of his relatives.

The pair are said to have become close last summer after meeting in the exclusive seaside resort town of Bastad and they have since been said to have been on secret trips together in Sweden and New York.

However, the 30-year-old prince, who drives Porsche racing cars and is regarded as one of the world's most eligible bachelors, has so far refused to confirm or deny the relationship.

"We have no comment to make at all," the head of the royal press department, Nina Eldh, said.

The prince was ranked ninth in a list of "The 20 Hottest Young Royals" compiled by Forbes magazine in 2008 behind Princes William and Harry, who took places one and two, and Zara Phillips, who was third.

As the only son of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, the prince was the heir to the throne for a few months after he was born in 1979.

But in 1980 the rules of succession were changed and the principle of primogeniture was introduced, meaning that his elder sister, Crown Princess Victoria, 32, is now the rightful heir.

"He comes across as the blacksheep of the family," a royal watcher told The Daily Telegraph. "Now that he is no longer next in line to the throne, he does his own thing.

"He's a racing car driver and a bit of a wild child. But he also designs his own range of cutlery and he's studying at an agricultural college in southern Sweden."

The prince, who also carries the title Duke of Varmland, has been a regular on Stockholm's nightclub scene after breaking up last year with his long-time girlfriend, PR executive Emma Pernald, after 10 years.

Miss Pernald told a Swedish magazine, Expressen, that she and the prince made a mutual decision to go their separate ways, but gave no further details on the exact reason for the split.

The prince's new love, who has also appeared on the popular reality television show, Paradise Hotel, in which a group of single people are marooned in a luxury tropical resort and compete to find a partner, could cause some awkward scenes this summer when his sister, Crown Princess Victoria, marries her boyfriend, a commoner and the owner of a gym, in a church next to the royal palace in Stockholm.

The event, on June 19, will receive huge coverage in Sweden, where the last royal wedding was between the king and queen in 1976.

"Can you imagine her turning up? It could be very embarrassing if the prince tries to bring her along," said a Swedish television journalist.