Princess Estelle Stays up Past Her Bedtime, Falls Asleep in Dad’s Lap (in a Packed Stadium!)

A little courtside drama went a long way this past weekend for Sweden’s second in line to the throne.

Princess Estelle showed she has plenty of regal spirit after arriving at Stockholm’s Hovet Stadium with her father Prince Daniel on Sunday. (Mom Crown Princess Victoria stayed home with Estelle’s 9-month-old baby brother, Prince Oscar.)

The royal duo were there to support the national women’s handball team — but the feisty 4-year-old decided she’d skip the photo op and, according to the Swedish newspaper Expressen, “ran away from Dad . . . and stood on the sidelines and yawned.”

But when the game got underway, the preschool-aged princess joined in the crowd’s enthusiasm.

The little sports fan, who enjoyed a tennis match at the Stockholm Open in October and earlier in the year was photographed cheering the national ice hockey team to a 4-2 win over Finland, enjoyed popcorn while watching from the bleachers.

But during a lull in the action on the court, Princess Estelle decided to take a nap in her father’s lap.

“It’s late for her to be up there like that,” Loui Sand, left winger for Sweden’s team, who beat Spain 25-19, told reporters. “It’s good to sleep!”

Crown Princess Victoria is expected to travel with her husband and son to Italy for a three-day visit later this month.

Princess Estelle will not be going with them: for one thing, she has to attend kindergarten. And for another, according to the Swedish journal Svenskdam, the princess has a new pony to keep her busy.