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Sweden's Prince Carl Philip to wed reality star Sofia Hellqvist

The Swedish princess-to-be has a colorful past, but their wedding will be one for the books

By Marilyn Malara
Sofia Hellqvist and Prince Carl Philip have been connected since 2010. Photo by Swedish Royal Court
1 of 4 | Sofia Hellqvist and Prince Carl Philip have been connected since 2010. Photo by Swedish Royal Court

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, June 4 (UPI) -- Watch out Will and Kate, there's a new surprise royal couple getting hitched!

Sweden's Prince Carl Philip will wed reality television star Sofia Hellqvist this month, and the reception will be one to remember. Swedish musicians Avicii and Icona Pop are scheduled to perform at the couple's wedding per their request. How about that for a party?

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Hellqvist, the princess-to-be, wasn't always associated to royal matters. After receiving her education in New York, the 30-year-old became a yoga instructor and model, posing in a bikini for popular Swedish men's magazine Slitz when she was 20. She also appeared as a finalist on racy Swedish reality show Paradise Hotel and began dating her handsome prince in 2010.

The couple is due to wed June 13 at the Royal Chapel of the Royal Palace of Stockholm.

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With all the royal love brewing in recent years, it's hard to keep track! Along with Prince William and Kate Middleton's growing family and the notable Swedes getting hitched, here are a few more royal couples that make monarchy look good:

1. Prince Albert II and Charlene Wittstock of Monaco

Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene depart from the Prince's Palace after their religious marriage ceremony in Monte Carlo, Monaco on July 2, 2011. The Prince and Princess took part in a civil wedding ceremony yesterday. UPI/ David Silpa
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Grace Kelly's son married his love in the throne room of Monaco's royal palace in 2011. Prince Albert, then 52, met his Olympic athlete wife at an international swimming meet. Wittstock, then 53, told a local newspaper that meeting the prince felt like destiny. "I have been quoted as saying I felt weak at the knees. That is a slightly trite way of phrasing it, but it is true. I knew he was the one," she said.

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2. Prince Frederik and Mary Donaldson of Denmark

Danish Crown Princess Mary and her husband Prince Frederik stand on the sidelines before the New York Jets play the San Diego Chargers in week 7 of the NFL season at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on October 23, 2011. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
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Another dream royal wedding took place at Copenhagen Cathedral in Denmark between Prince Frederik and former realtor Mary Donaldson. Born in Australia, Donaldson spent a year learning Danish after relocating to Copenhagen at the end of 2001. She met her prince just a year before at the Olympic games in Sydney in 2000 and the couple tied the knot on May 14, 2004.

3. King Mohammad VI and Lalla Salma Banani of Morocco

Mohammed VI, King of Morocco, married his red-headed bride in 2002 after meeting her at a private party. Photo by Mark Cowan/UPI
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Moroccans celebrated King Mohammad VI's 2002 wedding for three days straight. In attendance were U.S. President Bill Clinton and his daughter, Jordan's Queen Rania, and Moammar Gadhafi's son, as-Saadi. Interestingly enough, the bride herself was absent from the festivities, and sadly, reporters weren't allowed in the palace walls during the event. The celebration consisted of a chorus inside while the public honored the wedding in the streets outside.

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4. King Felipe VI and Letizia Ortiz of Spain

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain arrive at the Elysee Palace in Paris June 2, 2015. The Spanish royals are in Paris for a state visit that was originally scheduled for March but was delayed due to the deadly Germanwings plane crash in the French Alps involving many Spanish victims. Photo by David Silpa/UPI
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When Spain's then-Prince Felipe and former television newscaster Letizia Ortiz married in May of 2004, tensions were running high. Just weeks before the wedding, terrorists planted bombs at a railway station in Madrid, killing 192 people. Traditional celebratory gestures like fireworks were cancelled due to fears of another attack, but the couple's post-wedding drive to the Royal Basilica of Atocha was laden with red, yellow and saffron flowers.

5. Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall of England

A more modest royal wedding between the daughter of England's Princess Anne, Zara Phillips, and rugby player Mike Tindall took place in 2011. The Queen of England and many other royals attended the ceremony, which was paid for with the public's tax dollars. Phillips is the 13th in line for the throne although she doesn't have titles, but she is an accomplished professional equestrian and horse physical therapist. In Jan. 2015, the couple sold photos of their newborn baby to the press, which caused some backlash from both the palace and the media. Tindall told Radio Times afterward that he and his wife "run our own life." "Ultimately it's what we want to do first," he said.

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