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Royal baby joy! Princess Claudia and Prince Josef-Emanuel of Liechtenstein surprise royal fans by revealing the birth of their second child one month post-partum
Prince Josef-Emmanuel of Liechtenstein and Princess Claudia have welcomed their second child together.
The son of Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg and Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein, and his wife, Claudia Echavarria, kept the birth of their newborn under wraps for his first 40 days.
Taking to Instagram last week, Claudia surprised friends and royal fans alike by revealing that she had given birth to her son, Prince Nikolai.
'The first 40 days of Niki,' Claudia wrote, adding when translated into English, eternally grateful for these women @almapartera @haneshapeinado @drakarenperez @gabriellamcampagna @perezcastroi.'
The proud mother shared a selection of snaps from Nikolai's early days, including an adorable image of the newborn snuggling in a yellow cardigan and ruffled white shirt.
Elsewhere, Claudia, who is also the mother of her eldest child, Prince Leopold, who was born in March 2023, shared an image of Nikolai lying down in a knitted blue jumper with his name stitched on it.
The mother-of-two also shared a candid snap of her enjoying time with her son in bed while in pyjamas.
Josef-Emanuel, 36, wed Claudia in a breathtaking ceremony in Iglesia de San Pedro Claver church in 2022.
The prince is the youngest son of Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg and Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein.
Born in Belgium, where his father was an ambassador, he is currently 16th in line for the throne of Liechtenstein.
But Josef-Emanuel, like his newborn son Nikolai, is a member of not only one, but two royal families, being the grandson of the late Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium on his mother's side.
He moved to the UK at a young age to attend the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, and after his graduation, he joined the Irish Guards.
Josef-Emanuel was quickly promoted to Lieutenant at the age of 21 and was selected to present the Queen with the flag of his regiment at the 2010 Trooping the Colour.
The regiment has a strong connection to the 32-year-old, since his grandfather, Grand Duke Jean, served with the group as a Lieutenant in the Second World War.
Grand Duke Jean had volunteered with the British Army after his royal family fled Nazi occupation of Luxembourg in the Second World War.
Josef-Emanuel's sister, Maria Anunciata of Liechtenstein, tied the knot in June 2021 with her entrepreneur boyfriend Emanuele Musini in a small civil ceremony at the Villa della Tenuta di Fassia near Gubbio.
The royal's wife, known as Cloclo, is a well-known socialite in Cartagena, Colombia. She grew up in Miami and Geneva.
Meanwhile, in other royal news, Princess Diana's niece Lady Eliza Spencer announced her engagement to Channing Millerd earlier this month.
Eliza, 33, revealed the happy news on Instagram alongside a selection of photographs from the proposal, which took place in Santorini.
After almost a decade together, Channing popped the question to Eliza, the daughter of Charles Spencer and Victoria Aitken, in a stunning setting during sunset on the Greek island.
In the post, captioned 'Forever and ever', Eliza shared a sweet photograph of her lovingly looking at her fiancée.
The snap showcased the model's new ring, which features a lavish pear-shaped diamond.
A second photograph appeared to capture the moment Channing got down on one knee to the model during a romantic candlelit dinner overlooking the sea.
Eliza, a first cousin of Prince William and Prince Harry, put on an elegant display for the special moment in a silk red halter-neck dress and brown sandals.
Friends and family rushed to congratulate the couple in the comment section, including Eliza's twin sister, Lady Amelia Spencer, who wrote, 'The best news ever', before adding, 'I couldn't be happier for you both!
'The BEST NEWS IN THE WORLD. I love you both with all my heart! The perfect couple and dream engagement.'
The model's elder sister, Lady Kitty Spencer, 34, also congratulated the couple on Instagram, writing, 'So happy for you and love you both very much @elizavspencer @channingmillerd.'
Eliza and Channing first met at a dinner party in South Africa through the executive's brother, Greg Mallet, according to Hello.
Talking to the publication, Eliza said, 'We have such a strong, loving and supportive relationship.'
'He truly is my best friend. We understand each other so well, and no matter what life brings, we're always there for one another.'
Eliza added, 'I absolutely believe he's The One - our bond is built on so much trust, laughter and shared values.'
Eliza and Amelia live in London's Fulham, around 15 minutes away from their elder sister, though they travel a lot, including back to South Africa, from where their partners hail.
Following the union, the model will become a stepmother to Channing's son from a previous relationship, Nate, who the loving father has dubbed his 'perfect boy' on Instagram.
In an interview with Hello in March, Eliza said that she likes the idea of a destination wedding, particularly in Italy.
It comes after King Charles's cousin announced the engagement of his eldest daughter, Ella Mountbatten.
British aristocrat Lord Ivar Mountbatten, 62, who previously won America's The Traitors, took to Instagram to share the happy news of 29-year-old Ella's engagement to Fergus Allways Wright.
'I couldn't be happier to announce the engagement of my eldest and most precious daughter Ella @ellamountbatten to her fabulous boyfriend Fergus @ the proud father wrote.
He continued, 'Ferg is not one to be rushed, so I am incredibly pleased that he has finally put us all out of our misery!
'I know he will look after my daughter to his dying day - they couldn't be better suited. Enjoy this special time in your life.'
The father-of-three to Ella, Alix and Luli, with his ex-wife, Penny Mounbatten, signed the post off by writing, 'Much love to you both. X #happycouple #finally #1down2togo.'
Ivar, who became the first member of the extended Royal Family to enter a same-sex union in 2018 with partner James Coyle, added a sweet photograph of the happy couple in the post.
Brand partnership manager Ella was all smiles as she proudly displayed her emerald and diamond-encrusted engagement ring while standing next to her fiancé, who works as an insurance executive.
