Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine have announced with joy they became grandparents when Prince Philip and Princess Danica welcomed their first child on Sunday, 25 February 2018.

The little prince, Stefan, was born in Belgrade at 10.30 am (local time).

Mother and baby are doing well.

The 49 bells of Belgrade’s St Sava Church rang out for the first time with the blessing of Patriarch Irinej, to mark this very special occasion – a first in history.

This is the first birth in Serbia’s Royal Family for 90 years, as King Peter II’s younger brother, Prince Tomislav’s arrived on 19 January 1928.

Prince Philip is second in line to the throne and fraternal and older twin of Prince Alexander.

He married Danica Marinkovic in a lavish ceremony at the Suborn Church in Belgrade on Saturday, 7 October 2017, with Hereditary Prince Peter as the Kum (best man) and Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria as the Kuma (Matron of Honour).

A statement from the Royal Palace says the new parents warmly thank everyone for their congratulations together with Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine.

The Royal Family have lived in Belgrade’s Royal Palace since 2001, after years of exile, after the monarchy was abolished in 1945 when Serbia became part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia until 1992.

Serbia and Montenegro formed a new federation on 28 April 1992.

However, Serbia declared independence in 2006 and is now a republic.