A home birth for Victoria?

With just weeks, perhaps less, to go until Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden welcomes her second baby, she and her family are getting ready for the new addition to their nest. The mummy to be is wrapping up her public engagements, she's spending lots of time the soon to be big sister Princess Estelle and now there are reports that she is planning a home birth. It's a baby shower, royal style.

We three on the brink of becoming four - Victoria, Daniel and Estelle of Sweden will welcome a new member to their family very soon

Let's start with the maternity wing at the Haga Palace. Reports have emerged in the Svenksdam paper that Victoria is planning to give birth to baby number two at home. Princess Estelle was born at Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm. Her delivery was straightforward and the new parents took their little girl home just hours later. So making the trip to hospital only to come back the same day might not appeal to Victoria who will be able to count on the very best medical care at home.

Will Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden have her second baby at home?

Regardless of where baby arrives, there will be a gun salute and a religious service soon afterwards to celebrate their arrival. The invitations for that event have been sent out to those who will join Sweden's Royal Family as they head to the Royal Chapel to give thanks for their newest member's safe arrival.

Crown Princess Victoria with her husband, brother in law and parents at the Te Deum held in Stockholm to mark the birth of Prince Nicolas in 2015

But while the baby's arrival will be a public event too, Victoria and Daniel have been getting ready privately and spending lots of time with their first child, Princess Estelle, who turns four in nine days time. This weekend they were seen cheering on Sweden's hockey team as they beat Finland. Estelle clearly wasn't thinking of baby brothers or sisters and more of face paint as she sported her country's colours on her cheeks as well as on her clothes. Her parents have already said she wants a hamster more than a sibling but they are doing all they can to make the last few days before the big change to their family as fun as possible for little Estelle who will keep her place in the line of succession regardless of the gender of her new playmate.

Brother, sister or hamster? It's a close call for Estelle who will welcome a new playmate very soon

And Crown Princess Victoria shows no signs of slowing down herself with a series of engagements and meetings in the past week, including a high profile appearance at the Global Change Awards in Stockholm where she wowed in a navy evening dress.

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There are more engagements planned for the week ahead although the last in her diary is February 15th and she gave birth to Estelle just days after completing her last scheduled event in that pregnancy. Baby is due in March but we could be celebrating sooner - and Victoria of Sweden seems more than ready for her new arrival.