Royals European Royal Families Sweden's Prince Alexander Celebrates 3rd Birthday with an Adorable New Portrait on Instagram Alexander had a busy year, from helping open a scenic lookout to assisting his father with a Christmas tradition By Stephanie Petit Stephanie Petit Stephanie Petit is a Royals Editor, Writer and Reporter at PEOPLE. People Editorial Guidelines Published on April 19, 2019 10:38AM EDT Happy birthday, Prince Alexander! (Or “grattis på födelsedagen!”) The oldest child of Sweden‘s Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia turned 3 on Friday, and the royal family marked the occasion by releasing a cute new portrait of the little prince. They are also parents to 1-year-old Prince Gabriel. In a close-up shot, Alexander tilts his head as he gives a sweet smile to the camera while wearing a blue sweater featuring an owl. He appears to have inherited his father’s curly locks and dark eyes. “Our beloved Alexander, big congratulations on your 3rd birthday!” the photo by Josefine Persson is captioned on Carl Philip and Sofia’s joint Instagram page, complete with a red heart emoji. The Swedish royal family’s Instagram also shared the photo, writing: “Today Prince Alexander fills 3 years!” Josefine Persson / Kungl. Royal Court IBL/REX/Shutterstock Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage? Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! Alexander had a busy year! In August, he joined his parents at the Nynas Nature Reserve in Gisesjon, Sweden, where a scenic lookout and a path were dedicated in the young child’s honor. The prince happily waved at the cameras and enjoyed a horse-drawn carriage ride through the preserve. Prince Alexander even assisted in breaking the green ribbon to officially open the viewpoint. Prince Alexander in 2018. Michael Campanella/Getty In December, Alexander was on-hand to help his father accept Christmas trees at the Royal Palace of Stockholm. Students from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences have been presenting the palace with the evergreens every year since the end of the 1960s. He looked festive for the occasion, donning a red Santa hat. Prince Carl Philip/Instagram Shortly after Alexander was born, Princess Sofia talked to Sweden’s Svenskdam about her first-born son. “He is very sweet and well-behaved,” she said of Alexander. Asked which parent their firstborn child took after most, Sofia replied, “He’s a mixture of us both!”