Prince Carl Philip of Sweden is engaged to his ex-glamour model girlfriend, four years they started dating. In January 2010 the 35-year-old prince sparked outrage when he started dating Sofia Hellqvist, a reality TV star.
Hellqvist, who posed topless in Swedish men's magazines, made headlines in 2005 after reaching the final of the scandalous sex and alcohol-fuelled TV show, Paradise Hotel which showed scenes of Sofia kissing porn star Jenna Jameson. However, after meeting the Prince in a club in 2009, she calmed down.
Prince Carl Philip announced the news at press conference earlier today. He said: 'I have the incredible honor of being engaged to this fantastic girl.'
Speaking about her fiancé, Hellqvist said: 'Carl Philip is the most humble person I have ever met, which is what made me fall in the beginning. The proposal was 'a fantastic surprise', she said, and her initial response was apparently: 'oh wow!' ‘I expected a totally normal day at work. I was amazed and a little bit shocked,' she added.
The duo refused to give details about where the proposal took place, simply hinting that it was somewhere they both love.
In a statement on the royal family's website, it said:
'The Marshal of the Realm is delighted to announce the engagement between Prince Carl Philip and Miss Sofia Hellqvist. After His Majesty The King of Sweden had given his consent to the marriage between Prince Carl Philip and Miss Sofia Hellqvist, His Majesty requested the approval by the Swedish Government, in accordance with the procedures set out in the Swedish Constitution.'
