A Royal couple have made the surprise announcement that they have secretly welcomed their second child.
On Instagram, Princess Claudia, the wife of Prince Josef-Emanuel of Liechtenstein, shared a series of adorable photos of their newborn son, who arrived last month.
The couple, who tied the knot in 2022, are already proud parents to another son named Leopold. Sharing snaps of their latest addition, Claudia revealed their new baby boy is called Nikolai. He is a new addition to the Liechtenstein Royal Family.
In one heartwarming photo, the little one can be seen snoozing in a knitted yellow cardigan, while in another, he’s wrapped in a blanket with ‘Nikolai’ stitched into it. A third snap shows the baby being lovingly cradled by his mum, reports the Mirror.
Prince Josef-Emanuel is the son of Prince Nikolas of Liechtenstein, the brother of the country’s reigning monarch, Prince Hans-Adam. His mother is Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg – the sister of Luxembourg’s reigning monarch, Grand Duke Henri.
He relocated to the UK during his younger years, studying at Sandhurst’s Royal Military Academy before joining the Irish Guards. At Trooping the Colour in 2010, he had the honour of presenting the flag of his regiment to the late Queen.
Josef-Emanuel tied the knot with his wife, Claudia, also known as Cloclo, a Colombian socialite, in a dazzling ceremony in Cartagena in 2022, with several royals in attendance, including Queen Camilla’s niece, Ayesha Shand.
Their joyous news comes after another Royal couple also welcomed a surprise new arrival earlier this year. In January, Princess Maria Laura of Belgium and her husband William Isvy, celebrated the birth of their first child, a son named Albert.
Baby Albert’s arrival was quite a surprise to Royal fans; Maria Laura and William kept their pregnancy under wraps until the birth. The Belgian Palace announced the birth, sharing a charming photo of the little boy snoozing in a cream jumper.
The new Royal was named after his great-grandfather, Albert II of Belgium, who served as King from 1993 until his abdication in 2013.
Baby Albert is currently 11th in line to the throne, but made history as the first Belgian Royal not to have been given a title.
Princess Maria Laura is the niece of King Philippe and the second child of Princess Astrid of Belgium, Philippe’s younger sister. She has been married to her husband William – a British investment banker – since 10 September 2022.
They said their vows in a civil ceremony in Brussels, followed by a religious celebration at the Cathedral of Saint Michael and Saint Gudula the following day.
Maria Laura was brought up away from the Royal limelight in Bazel, Switzerland, until she was five years old due to her father’s job at an international bank.
Together with her four siblings – Prince Amedeo, Prince Joachim, Princess Luisa Maria and Princess Laetitia Maria – she was raised without the typical Royal responsibilities and is seldom seen at public events.