Prince Carl Philip of Sweden dating bikini model?

Prince Carl Philip, who is second in line to the Swedish throne, is said to be in a relationship with a glamour model, who posed topless with a python wrapped around her body.

Philip, 30, had broken off his decade-long relationship with PR executive Emma Pernald after he met bikini model Sofia Hellqvist.

Hellqvist, 25, had shot to fame when she posed for a Swedish men's magazine, Slitz, with only a pair of bikini bottoms and a writhing, mottled snake to preserve her modesty.
 
News of the love affair between the prince and Hellqvist has captivated Swedish society, and while it is believed he has met her family, it is understood that she is yet to be introduced to his.

The two, who are said to have become close last summer after they met in the exclusive seaside resort town of Bastad, have since been said to have been on secret trips together in Sweden and New York.

But so far the prince, who drives Porsche racing cars and is regarded as one of the world's most eligible bachelors, has refused to confirm or deny the relationship.

"We have no comment to make at all," the Telegraph quoted the head of the royal press department, Nina Eldh, as saying.

The prince, who also carries the title Duke of Varmland, has been a regular on Stockholm's nightclub scene after breaking up last year with his long-time girlfriend.

"He comes across as the blacksheep of the family," a royal watcher told the Daily Telegraph.

"Now that he is no longer next in line to the throne, he does his own thing.

"He's a racing car driver and a bit of a wild child. But he also designs his own range of cutlery and he's studying at an agricultural college in southern Sweden," the royal watcher added.

The prince's new love has also appeared on the popular reality television show, Paradise Hotel, in which a group of single people are marooned in a luxury tropical resort and compete to find a partner.