Princess Sofia, Duchess of Värmland celebrates her 34th birthday on Thursday, 6 December and the Swedish Royal Court have released a new photo to mark the occasion.

Sofia Kristina Hellqvist was born on 6 December 1984 at Danderyd Hosptial, the second of three daughters born to employment counsellor Erik and Marie Hellqvist.

Sofia has an older sister, Lina, and younger sister Sarah.

The family moved to Älvdalen in 1991 where Sofia attended the Älvdalen Montessori School, Älvdal School and specialised in music at Vansbro Education Centre’s arts programme.

Sofia was a glamour model and a contestant in a controversial reality television programme, Paradise Hotel, before meeting Prince Carl Philip in 2010.

The Swedish Royal Court announced their engagement on 27 June 2014 and married in the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace of Stockholm on 13 June 2015.

They have two sons, Prince Alexander, Duke of Södermanland (born 19 April 2016) and Prince Gabriel, Duke of Dalarna (born 31 August 2017), who are fifth and sixth in the line of succession to the Swedish throne.

Anyone wishing to send their birthday greetings to Princess Sofia can do so via the Kungahuset’s Facebook page, on Instagram @kungahuset or sending a message via the Swedish Royal Family’s website’s greeting form.