Royals

Prince Gabriel of Sweden Goes on First Royal Outing with His Parents — and He's Not Even 3!

Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia took their second child on his first official visit to his duchy

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Published on August 28, 2020 10:19 AM

Princess Sofia & Prince Carl Philip — Prince Carl Philip, Prince Gabriel and Princess Sofia. Photo: Prinsparet/ Instagram

Prince Gabriel of Sweden reporting for royal duty!

The little prince is three days shy of his third birthday on August 31, but that's not stopping him from being the star of an official engagement. Gabriel was joined by parents Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia on Thursday at the Saterdalen nature reserve to open an accessibility-adapted rest spot dedicated in his honor as a baptism gift.

"We hope that the resting place will be an appreciated feature for the many visitors of this nature reserve. It's definitely a new strawberry place for us to visit," Carl Philip and Sofia said on their joint Instagram page along with photos of the visit, referring to a special place of refuge and relaxation.

During the outing, the first official royal engagement he's ever undertaken in his duchy of Dalarna, Prince Gabriel went to work painting a birdhouse that will be displayed in the nature reserve. He even wore a neon green smock to make sure his adorable outfit — a blue sweater over a collared shirt — didn't get messy!

The outing mirrored an outing by Gabriel's big brother, Prince Alexander, 4, in August 2018, when the little royal and his parents visited the Nynas Nature Reserve where a scenic lookout and a path were dedicated in his honor.

The family (minus Prince Gabriel) embarked on a horse-drawn carriage ride through the preserve, with Prince Alexander taking in the views from in between his parents. For the biggest duty of the day, Alexander assisted in breaking the green ribbon to officially open the viewpoint.

Swedish Royals Visit Nynas Nature Reserve — Prince Alexander in 2018. Michael Campanella/Getty

Princess Sofia of sweden and Prince Carl Philip visit the Nynas Nature Reserve, Sodermanland, Sweden - 23 Aug 2018 — Princess Sofia, Prince Alexander and Prince Carl Philip in 2018. IBL/REX/Shutterstock

Like families around the world, the Swedish royal family will be doing less traveling this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, Prince Carl Philip, Princess Sofia and their two sons are showing that you don't have to venture far for some fun — and documenting it all on Instagram.

The foursome has been exploring local nature spot through walking, biking, picnicking and swimming.

King Carl XVI Gustaf announced in October that he was stripping the royal titles of five of his grandchildren, the two sons of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia as well as Princess Madeleine and Chris O’Neill's three kids.

Despite losing their title of Royal Highness, Madeleine’s three children — Princess Leonore, 6, Prince Nicolas, 5, Princess Adrienne, 2 – and Carl Philip’s two sons — Prince Alexander and Prince Gabriel — will retain their titles of Prince and Princess, but these titles will become personal and any future spouses or children will not have a right to them. (The decision does not pertain to Princess Estelle, 8, and Prince Oscar, 4 – the children of Crown Princess Victoria, who is heir to the throne, and her husband Prince Daniel.)

"Today, the King announced the decision that our children no longer hold the Royal Highness position. We see this as positive as Alexander and Gabriel will have freer choices in life," Carl Philip wrote on Instagram following the announcement. "They will retain their prince titles and their duchies, Södermanland and Dalarna, which we value and are proud of. Our family has strong connections to both landscapes and we maintain our commitment there."

He added, "We will continue to focus on our heart issues and commitment. We will also continue to support the King and Crown Princess – our future head of state – and participate in the King’s House activities as we wish."