Princess poses with her horse in new photo: 'The two of you have a special bond'

Princess Leonore of Sweden is growing up! Princess Madeleine's eldest child turned 11 on Thursday, Feb. 20. The royal mom of three celebrated her firstborn's birthday with a tribute on Instagram, revealing one of her daughter's passions.

Madeleine shared a snapshot of Leonore with her horse named Haidi. "Happiest 11th birthday Leonore! It warms my heart to see your love and passion for horses and especially for Haidi! The two of you have a special bond ❤️❤️," Madeleine captioned the photo. 

Haidi, who is a Gotland Russ, was a christening gift from the County Administrative Board and Region Gotland to Leonor. The young Princess met Haidi back in 2016 during a visit to Gotland with her parents, Princess Madeleine and Christopher O'Neill.

Leonore appears to have inherited her maternal grandmother Queen Silvia's love for horses. In a 2016 interview with Equnews, Madeleine's mother said, "I love horses. They are wonderful animals, but at the same time also so friendly and sensitive. That it is a special gift!"

The Queen revealed that her father-in-law, Prince Gustaf Adolf, "was definitely the best rider among the Swedish royal family to-date," adding, "I believe my daughter, Princess Madeleine, has inherited his talent and his love for horses."

At the time, Silvia also shared that her then 2-year-old granddaughter Princess Leonore had "an incredible confidence in horses."

Leonore is the eldest of Madeleine and Christopher's children. She was born in New York at NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center. The Princess is tenth in line to the throne, after Crown Princess Victoria, Princess Estelle, Prince Oscar, Prince Carl Philip, Prince Alexander, Prince Gabriel, Prince Julian, Princess Ines and her mom Princess Madeleine.

Leonore, her younger siblings, Prince Nicolas and Princess Adrienne, and their parents moved from Florida to Sweden last year. The Swedish Royal Court announced in 2023 that Madeleine and her husband had decided to "relocate to Sweden indefinitely" after living in the Sunshine State since 2018.

© Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Speaking to Mama in 2019, Princess Madeleine admitted, "The children have been looking forward to coming to Sweden for such a long time, to their rooms and to their things. But also because we are outside so much more here than we are in Florida. It's so hot there, and you can only be outside for short periods, so for them to be able to be out in the forest and run around, it's a dream. And it's something that I have really missed myself."