The Swedish Royal family gathered at the Drottningholm Palace Chapel in Stockholm for the Christening of its youngest member, three-month-old Prince Gabriel on Friday, 1 December 2017.

The little prince was christened Gabriel Carl Walther and he has been given the title Duke of Dalarna.

His mother Princess Sofia grew up in the Älvdalen area of Dalarna, in central-west Sweden so she wore a traditional regional dress for the occasion.

Prince Gabriel wore the traditional Christening gown which was first worn by Prince Gustaf Adolf in 1906, followed other members of the Swedish Royal Family until the present day.

The cape was first used at Princess Margareta’s baptism in 1935, and has the name and date of every royal christening ever since sewn into the lining.

Prime Minister Stefan Löfven and his wife were among the guests attending the ceremony, which included the Swedish Royal Family and Princess Sofia’s relatives, friends, the Royal Court, members of parliament, other government officials and members of the diplomatic corp from Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland and Bolivia.

Archbishop Emeritus Anders Wejryd, assisted by the King’s Chaplain Bishop Johan Dalman and Court Chaplain and Rector of the Royal Court Parish Reverend Michael Bjerkhagen, officiated over the one-hour ceremony.

Princess Estelle assisted by pouring the water, which comes from a spring on the island of Öland, into the baptismal font.

However, little Prince Gabriel was not happy and cried during the baptism, until he was back in his mother’s arms.

Prince Gabriel’s godparents are his paternal aunt Princess Madeleine, maternal aunt Miss Sara Hellqvist, Prince Carl Philip’s friend Mr Oscar Kylberg, Princess Sofia’s friend Miss Carolina Pihl and Mr Thomas de Toledo Summerlath (one of Queen Silvia’s relatives).

King Carl XVI Gustaf bestowed the Order of the Seraphim upon Prince Gabriel at the end of the service.

SVT broadcasted the Christening live on television, even capturing Prince Alexander going for a little wander even past the Prime Minister during the service.

The Armed Forces fired a 21-gun salute from Skeppsholmen and from HMS Kullen outside Drottningholm Palace.

Afterwards, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia hosted a reception and lunch at Drottningholm Palace for invited guests.

Meanwhile, Prince Gabriel rested in King Karl XV’s golden cradle, which was made 1826.

Drottningholm Palace

The original Drottningholm Palace, built by John III of Sweden in 1580 for his queen Catherine Magellan, was destroyed by fire in 1661 after the Queen Dowager Hedvig Eleonora bought it earlier that year.

She commissioned architect Nicodemus Tessin the Elder to build a palace based on a French prototype which featured many magnificent salons, with imposing Baroque gardens which were laid out in 1681 by Nicodemus Tessin the Younger.

Drottningholm Palace, which has served as the permanent residence of Sweden’s Royal Family since 1981, is the best-preserved 17th Century palace and is now one of Stockholm’s World Heritage Sites.

The palace, except for rooms in the southern wing, is mostly open to visitors all year around.