We've heard of actresses becoming princesses (hi, Princess Grace and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex!) and even TV anchors becoming queens (hi, Queen Letizia of Spain!). But glamour model-slash-reality TV star to royalty? That's a pipeline nobody expects. However, it's the back story of Sweden's Princess Sofia.
Born Sofia Hellqvist, she rose to notoriety with appearances in men's magazines and on TV series Paradise Hotel . But then, in 2009, she met her future husband – who just so happened to be a prince. As you might imagine, her romance with Prince Carl Philip caused some controversy in Sweden – in fact, Sofia faced a "hate storm" when the news went public – but 14 years later, they're still together and the picture of happiness.
Join us as we look back on Sofia's unconventional path to a life of royal engagements and tiaras. Sofia Hellqvist was born in Danderyd, Sweden, in December 1984. While studying in Sweden's capital, Stockholm, Sofia worked as a glamour model.
At the age of 20, she posed for Swedish men's magazine, Slitz , wearing a boa constrictor - and not much else - and was voted "Miss Slitz 2004". In 2005, fresh from the popularity that came with being named "Miss Slitz " the year before, Sofia appeared on reality television. She was briefly a contestant on series Paradise Hotel in which a group of single people are marooned in a luxury tropical resort and compete to find a partner.
Following her stint on reality television in 2005, Sofia moved .
