Victoria's maternity fashion: the first few months

We've got just weeks, if not days, to wait until Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden becomes a mum for the second time. We've already checked out the sparkling evening looks from the last few months so now it's time to have a look back at some of the daytime maternity outfits Victoria has chosen since she announced her pregnancy in September last year. This is all about the day outfits and there have been some stunners.

September 7th, Stockholm

Just days after announcing baby number two was on the way, Victoria and her husband Prince Daniel, joined a workshop on entrepreneurship led by Stanford's Professor Tina Seelig. Victoria chose a Sixties style black dress with white trim which was on trend and rather fabulous. Just a super chic look.

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September 10th, Gothenburg

There was more of an Eighties feel about the top chosen by Victoria for a visit to Gothenburg a few days later. The black and white print with a bold red line across it was teamed with simple black trousers for a relaxed look as she and Daniel carried out engagements in the city

September 14th, Grand Hotel, Stockholm
Victoria and Daniel attended the Franco-Swedish Business Forum on a sunny autumn day with the mama to be picking a purple shift dress we've seen before for her latest appearance. The gold necklace to match the button details on the dress was a great touch.

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September 15th, Swedish Parliament, Stockholm
Black and white is always the order of the day for the annual visit to Sweden's Parliament for its official opening. Victoria chose a black dress with white trimmed black jacket and neat little black and white trim for her hair - another winner from the Crown Princess.

September 16th, Stockholm And suddenly we have a bump. There had been hints of Victoria's great expectations up until now but, as many women find, one day bump just makes its presence known. And when Victoria attended the 20th anniversary of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance in Stockholm baby number two was very definitely making its presence felt. The Crown Princess chose a black dress with green jacket - a simple outfit but she looked stunning.

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September 17th, Stockholm Victoria had two engagements this day - an audience with Iraqi President Saleem al-Jaboori and then the opening of an exhibition about Folke Bernadotte and she went pastel for the occasion. There was a white shift dress with tweed jacket with rough edging and some rather nice snakeskin shows. A summery look as autumn began to make itself felt.

September 22nd, Royal Palace, Stockholm This marked the debut of a pink coat that would become a popular choice for Victoria in her second pregnancy. She wore it for an audience for over 100 astronauts and space experts (yes, you read that right) at the Royal Palace which she hosted alongside her dad, King Carl XVI Gustaf. It's bright, it's shiny and it works with everything. Not my favourite maternity look on Victoria but still stylish.

September 23rd, Royal Palace, Stockholm We only got a glimpse of this one as Victoria joined dad again as they took part in a Foreign Affairs Committee at the Royal Palace. Is it brown or is it black? My money is on black and all we can see is the scoop neck top but it's smart all the same.

September 24th, Vanersborg Victoria joined King Carl XVI Gustaf to visit a centre for asylum seekers and a school looking after children waiting for visas. For these engagements, Victoria chose a navy blue dress with button details and pleated skirt.

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October 11th, Royal Palace, Stockholm For one of the biggest events of the royal year, Crown Princess Victoria went for royal purple. The christening of her nephew, Prince Nicolas Paul Gustaf, saw Victoria choose a purple shift dress with mid length sleeves and a colour co-ordinated hat. Very regal.

October 13th, Grand Hotel, Stockholm A few days later, Victoria presented awards in an eye catching black, grey and white mix jacket. It's made even more chic by the shorter length and pretty texturing around the bottom. 

October 14th, Solna For the annual meeting of the WWF, Victoria chose a really pretty geometric pattern dress in grey. It has a shirt collar effect and strappy black belt and is really rather lovely.

That's part one of Victoria's maternity day wear - more soon starting with the outfits chosen for her visit to Peru and Colombia. And there is a lot more on the Swedish Royals from the past week on this special page.

New royal stamps for Sweden

You'll have to wait until March to get your hands on them but there are three rather lovely new royal stamps about to hit the post offices of Sweden. The special editions celebrate a birthday and a wedding anniversary and they are really very nice indeed.

A king and his heirs - King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden with Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Estelle on a new stamp to be released in March 2016

The stamps are being released to mark the 70th birthday of Carl XVI Gustaf (30th April in case you wanted to buy a card) and the 40th wedding anniversary of Sweden's King and Queen (19th June). They will come out just days after the 40th anniversary of the announcement of the engagement of Carl XVI Gustaf and Silvia which made headlines around the world on March 12th 1976.

Three beautiful portraits, taken by Anna-Lena Ahlstrom, will feature on the new stamps

The Queen of Sweden, marking her Ruby Jubilee this year, is shown in white with gold jewellery while her husband, approaching this big birthday, wears a blue suit and blue and gold tie, paying tribute to the colours of his country's flag.

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden on a new special stamp

The stamps, released on March 17th, can be used for internal mail in Sweden. The rest of us will just have to keep them in the scrap book and enjoy more special royal pictures.

Photos PostNord

The Elizabeth Line - fit for a queen

She's already taken over Victoria as the longest reigning monarch and now she's joining great, great granny with an honour reserved for just a few. Elizabeth II is going to have a railway line named after her.

A line of one's own - The Queen with the sign that shows London's newest transport network will bear her name

(photo @transportgovuk Twitter)

Crossrail, the new network that will reach Essex, Berkshire and Buckingham as well as crisscrossing London, will be called the Elizabeth Line when it opens in December 2018. The announcement was made as the Queen visited a station construction site in London to see how work on this huge transport project is progressing.

The Queen is presented with a new roundel marking Crossrail 1's naming as the Elizabeth Line. Her Majesty visited the Crossrail construction site at Bond Street where she met engineers, construction workers, apprentices and Transport for London staff. © Press Association

A photo posted by The British Monarchy (@the_british_monarchy) on Feb 23, 2016 at 6:53am PST

The Queen went almost 100 feet below ground to visit the construction site and meet some of the workers helping bring the new line to life.  And then she unveiled a sign for the new line.

The Queen unveils a plaque marking @Crossrail 1's naming as the #Elizabethline, in Her Majesty's 90th year pic.twitter.com/FxK0MzP78I

— BritishMonarchy (@BritishMonarchy) February 23, 2016

It was London's outgoing major, Boris Johnson, who made the announcement that Crossrail will be named after the first monarch to travel on a tube train. He said ''the Elizabeth Line will provide a lasting tribute to our longest serving monarch.'' The Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin, said ''Given Her Majesty the Queen's long association with UK transport, it is very fitting that this vital link across our capital will be named the Elizabeth Line in her honour.''

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Every transport line needs a colour for when it's added to the iconic transport map and the Elizabeth is no exception. And what other colour could it be than regal purple - we got our first glimpse today as the Queen unveiled a sign.

Crossrail to be named the Elizabeth line when the new service opens to central London passengers in December 2018 pic.twitter.com/1h56iDG8Oh

— Crossrail Project (@Crossrail) February 23, 2016

She was presented with her own version to take away with her and looked rather pleased about the whole thing. But then she had just joined Victoria in the history books one more time with a line to call her own.

Estelle's birthday pics through the years

OK, she's only four but Princess Estelle of Sweden already has a pretty impressive album of birthday photos to her name. And 2016 has added another image to the history books for us all to enjoy. To mark her fourth birthday here is a look back at how Estelle of Sweden has celebrated.

February 23rd 2016, Estelle at four with mum and dad and waiting to meet a new brother or sister
(photo credit: (photo Kate Gabor/ The Royal Court Sweden)

Snow kiddins, she's three - Estelle took to her skis to mark her birthday in 2015
((photo Kate Gabor/ The Royal Court Sweden)

Now we are two - Sweden's future queen blows out her candles in February 2014 as Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel look on

(photo Kate Gabor/ The Royal Court Sweden)

Just a small slice - Estelle enjoys a cake in one of her first birthday photos from 2013.
(photo Kate Gabor/ The Royal Court Sweden)

OK, it's not a birthday portrait but it's an official photo of a major celebration that took place soon after Estelle arrived and the photos of her christening show a very happy mum and dad and a super alert and super cute baby with a super exciting future ahead of her. Happy Birthday, Estelle.

(photo Bruno Ehrs / The Royal Court Sweden)

And you can read more about the past week for Sweden's royals on this special page.

Princess Estelle at four

It's the moment we've been waiting for, an already established royal highlight of the year. February 23rd is Princess Estelle's birthday which means official photos which means a big chance to say 'ah' and 'wow'. And this year's pictures are every bit as cute as the ones that have come before. Here is Estelle of Sweden at four.

Estelle of Sweden turns four in another portrait for the history books 

(photo Kate Gabor/ kungahuset.se)

There are two photos, both taken at the Haga Palace where Estelle lives, and they show a little girl growing up fast. In her solo picture she perches on a chair in front of gilt trimmed doors. And then there is the family photo.

Mum, dad and daughter marking a very special birthday

Estelle stands on the chair holding her parents hands while mum and dad appear to have colour co-ordinated with their little girl. Estelle is wearing a cream dress with green piping and Crown Princess Victoria wears white while Prince Daniel has a green shirt for the occasion. And in the background is a hint of Victoria's baby bump. Which is a reminder that in a few weeks' time we will have more cute Estelle photos as she welcomes a baby brother or sister into her royal nursery.But for today it's all about this little princes who marks a special birthday with special photos. Time to say 'ah'.