Prince Carl Philip wore his military uniform at his wedding, which led to some confusion (for me). I was sure that Prince Carl Philip was an active-member of the Swedish Navy, so I was confused by the repeated descriptions of the prince as a “race-car driver.” It just seems like some sites should have led with “he’s been in the Swedish Navy for 14 years and he’s achieved the rank of major.” But I guess he gets a lot of time off from the Navy (does he?!?) and so he’s developed a fondness for racing cars, so much so that it’s his “job” now (is it?!). Not only that, but Carl Philip and his new bride are going to have a very short honeymoon just because Carl wants to race. Oh, I would be SO mad.
After a modern fairy-tale wedding, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia have set off for their honeymoon! But the newlyweds, who tied the knot in a gorgeous ceremony at the Swedish palace’s royal chapel in Stockholm on Saturday, have planned a short and sweet getaway due to the prince’s busy racing schedule.
“The honeymoon will last just 12 days – from the 13th to the 25th – when Carl Philip will drive a race,” Johanna Lejon, royals reporter at Svensk Damtidning, tells PEOPLE. The 36-year-old prince has raced in the Scandinavia Touring Car Championship since 2013, and he will buckle up for a twilight event at Mantorp Park in Sweden on June 25. The third race of the season will be held over one day with qualifying rounds in the morning and races in the evening, according to the official event calendar.
The prince crashed during the first race of the season last month when he collided with his racing rival, Erik Johnsson, after just four laps. He wasn’t hurt in the accident, but he was forced to retire from the race. He redeemed himself on the racetrack later in the month. Royal fans should be on the lookout for Princess Sofia, 30, cheering from the sidelines. The newly minted royal has been a fixture at the prince’s races.
I live in a very NASCAR-saturated area so I’m not even going to pretend that racing cars is a hobby only for the very rich. It is not, especially here in America, although in Europe, racing does seem to be more “elite”. I have never been fascinated by race car driving or watching people race, so to me it just seems like… jeez, don’t you have better things to do with your time? And you’re going to cut short your honeymoon just to race? Ugh.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
12 days is a pretty decent honeymoon.
Ditto, longer than mine
I was going to say, that’s twice as long as mine was lol
That’s two days longer than mine… that’s long enough to rest and recharge.
Yeah, I wouldn’t say “very short” honeymoon. And I’m sure they’ll have plenty of vacation time in the years to come.
Agreed. I was thinking a day or two, not 12. Would love a 12 day vacation…….
“Just 12 days” ha! I wish my honeymoon had been 7 days.. We took a four day honeymoon to the nearest beach. Exhausted, hungry and with our hearts full! 12 days it’s not only decent-sized, it’s a luxury.
How is 12 days a short honeymoon?!?!
Mine was 2 days.
Yeah, boo boo for the 12 days honeymoon. I think they’ll both survive.
12 days isn’t that short of a honeymoon. It’s not like this is some financially-strapped, overworked couple who never get to travel, either, nor are they a pair of virgins who might want a few weeks to figure things out. A couple of weeks is long enough for a nice little trip, and he gets to be in his race at the end.
TBH, I’m sure they’ll have plenty of opportunities to take honeymoon-like trips in the near future.
Exactly! I’m pretty sure that they, along with other royals and celebs, will spend time in Ibiza or the French Riviera before the summer is over.
They’re whole lives will be like a honeymoon anyway …..
12 days…wow. That sounds pretty good to me.
Although I will say my husband and I spent 9 days in Paris a few years ago and it FLEW by.
I did a double-take at the top pic…….for a spilt second I thought “oh wow…she really IS a free spirit!!” then realized it was a fuzzy microphone and not Sofia’s underarm hair. Not enough coffee yet this morning, I guess…
I guffawed!
😂
It runs in the family, intensely. I met his father, King Carl Gustav, when he showed up where I worked one day in the 1980s. That is when I learned that he is an avid racing fan and driver, thoroughly interested in all aspects of the sport. I worked at a manufacturer of aftermarket equipment for race cars and he came to the plant to check it all out. This was in an out of the way small town in the midwest. Surprise! Had no advance warning I’d be meeting royalty that day on the job. He was impeccably dressed and very polite.
That’s a great story – he must really be a fan to travel so far!
My heart bleeds for them….So on the next wedding when Sofia complains she had only 12 days honeymoon Kate would answer she had only 11 holidays this year instead of the usual 13.
Life’s such a hardship.
Seems like plenty when you’ve been together for years. And let’s be serious, these people vacation all the time; it’s not like they’ve got to work another year before getting anything more than a three day weekend.
Frankly, since somebody compared him to the Captain Obvious commercial guy, I’ve had a hard time taking him very seriously.
That outfit looks ridic, like he’s dressed up for hallowe’en or he’s the sixth member of the village people….and am I allowed to say that’s got to be the most boring wedding gown I’ve ever seen and her hair is sooo severe – she couldv’e looked much prettier.
She wanted to project that she is a calmed-down civilised and dignified lady and not that wild little thing that posed naked with a snake for the cover of a magazine called “slit”.
What ARE those fuzzy things?
Wind screens for microphones. Screens have been used for decades, but the old ones are shaped more like a mike and are less noticeable. Fuzzies are new and more effective, they just look funny,
Haha when they said cut short I thought he would be racing cars this week! I think they’ll be okay with a 12 day honeymoon. Most people just take a week! Some people can’t even afford one. What was the press expecting, for them to take a whole month off??
I always assumed the uniform was ceremonial. Not that he was actually in the military. I always thought he was a race car driver.
For a royal, I guess 12 days is a short vacation. *Kanye shrug*
12 days is nice. I’m sure she knew what was up when she married him. I don’t know how good of a driver he is. I hope he doesn’t have an accident again. If I was Sophia I would be nervous.
I just googled it — he’s a commander in the Swedish Navy as the Navy doesn’t have a rank called major.
Carl Philip was active duty in the Swedish Navy and then went into the reserves and people were outraged because he had no plans to step up his royal duties.
Perhaps the title has a different name but the equivalent of …
Additionally, I bet he fell the career ladder upwards. (Metaphor: means he would have gotten promoted without doing anything at all = falling). If you have a look at how many politicians in Europe or how many higher-ranking bankers / lawyers and likewise have a PhD … which the allegedly while while working 16-hour-shifts / campaigning / being a politician … It is ridiculous.
I think the journalists are lazy and don’t look up stuff — he’s been in the Swedish Navy for years and ranks are different. Very lazy journalism.
As for how he is while in the Navy — reportedly, it’s not bad. He was decent and that counts for something. So it doesn’t surprise me that he’s still advancing (which isn’t to say being the King’s son doesn’t help either).
I realize I am repeating what nearly everyone has said and I’m not married but how is 12 days a short honeymoon? There are (gasp) people who are unable to take a honeymoon.
Two reasons for Sophia to not get mad:
1. The go on a lots of holidays anyway. So maybe there will be an annual honemoon repetition or likewise.
2. She got the prince.
I’d take a 12-day honeymoon in a heartbeat…..wearing that tiara as well.
I’m not loving the scraggly beard, but other than that. Handsome couple!