Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden blogs. Royal family of Sweden

If earlier kings and queens dictated conditions to their subordinates, today it is the opinion of the subjects of the crown that influences the representatives of the royal court: they are spied on, they are condemned, they are told. In such conditions, maintaining a brand is not so easy, but we know good examples: British Duchess Kate Middleton, Spanish Queen Letizia and Crown Princess Victoria, our today's heroine.

Unlike Kate and Letizia, who acquired status after marriage, Victoria was condemned to the royal mantle from birth. At first she was a princess, and after constitutional reform she received the right of first succession (she overtook her younger brother Carl Philip in line for the throne) and became crown princess. Victoria, thanks to her father (Carl Gustav is Elizabeth II’s second cousin), can still lay claim to the British throne (however, the Swede ranks 205th in the list of heirs).

Victoria received an excellent education: she graduated from the Western Catholic University in France, studied at Yale University in the USA, interned at the Washington Embassy and at the UN in New York, and completed a course at the Swedish National Cathedral College. Victoria even served in the Swedish army for a month. She achieved all this despite dyslexia, a reading disorder that was passed on to her from her father.

As a child, the princess had serious problems: her classmates laughed at the girl who had difficulty reading and spelling. But as she grew up, Victoria became convinced that this was not a curse, but an experience that needed to be shared with others. Therefore, she spoke about her illness at one of the Swedish conferences - to the surprise of other participants: no one expected such frankness from a high-ranking person.

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“I'm not afraid to speak openly about my problem. For some it may seem insignificant, but it is not so. Because of the constant ridicule, I considered myself stupid and slow to think, but the support of my family saved me,” Victoria opens up on BBC Online.

Victoria did not hide her story with an eating disorder from the public. Even while studying at Yale, Swedish journalists suspected the girl of being too thin. The Royal Family laid all her cards on the table and admitted that the young heiress really suffers from anorexia. The shocking confession was greeted with emotion, because it turned out that the mighty of the world face the same questions that plague their subordinates. The ratings of the Swedish monarchs increased, and the paparazzi left Victoria for a while, giving her a time-out for 18 months - that’s how long the princess was treated for the disorder.

Having coped with the disorder, the princess began dating former classmate Daniel Collert. The press liked to discuss the possibility of their lavish wedding, but Victoria's family was not delighted with the choice of the heiress: his pedigree clearly lacked royalty. And soon their romance fizzled out.

Victoria soon found happiness in the arms of another Daniel, Westling, the owner of the fitness club where the princess worked out. For the sake of love, Victoria was ready to give up the throne. For several years, the lovers waited for approval from the Prime Minister, who finally made concessions, allowing the princess to tie the knot with a mere mortal without losing her title. The celebration in 2010 in Stockholm received the title of “the largest royal wedding in Europe,” until the British William and Kate took over the palm. And in 2012, 34-year-old Victoria gave Sweden a new heir - Duchess Estelle.

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Along with caring for the child, the princess did not forget about her charitable mission, traveling to dozens of countries for humanitarian purposes and being a member of the Council of the International Paralympic Committee.

The moved residents of Sweden called their era “the time of queens” in honor of the crown princess and her daughter, and 59% of the population said they wanted the king to leave the throne early and give it to Victoria.

Despite the people's love, the royal family has always been under attack: Victoria and Daniel were accused of corrupt connections with billionaire Bertil Hult (it was he who paid the newlyweds their Honeymoon), attributed non-existent novels and even accused of non-compliance with traditions. Most swipe came in 2011, when the book “Carl Gustav - the Reluctant Monarch” was published, which talked about stormy youth a king who knew no limits either in alcohol or in girls.

Today, July 14, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden is accepting congratulations and gifts in honor of her birthday. On this occasion, we present to your attention a traditional selection interesting facts about the royal person.

1. Crown Princess Victoria was born on July 14, 1977 to King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Queen Silvia, the elder sister of Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine, in Stockholm. She is the first child in the family. After her birth she received the status of "Her Royal Highness Princess Victoria of Sweden".

2. Victoria was born as a princess, but after the constitutional reform of 1979, which changed the order of succession to the throne in accordance with the principle of absolute primogeniture, the girl became crown princess, ahead of her in line royal throne his younger brother, Prince Carl Philip.

3. At the moment, Victoria is the only princess in the world who is first in line to the royal throne.

4. In addition, she is also the heir to the British throne thanks to her father, Carl Gustav, Elizabeth II’s second cousin. True, in this queue the girl takes 205th place.

5. If Victoria ever ascends to the throne, she will become Sweden's 4th reigning queen since 1720.

6. The Crown Princess's educational record is impressive. She studied at the Western Catholic University in Angers, France, at Yale University in America, interned at the Swedish Embassy in Washington, served in the Swedish army, completed a course at the Swedish National Cathedral College, interned at the UN in New York and in the offices of the Swedish trade organization in Berlin and Paris, gave a course of lectures at the National Defense College in Stockholm. In addition, her “baggage” also includes an internship at the Swedish representative office European Union and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Uppsala University.

Princess Victoria poses near the Getty Center art museums

7. As a direct heir, Victoria is obliged to replace King Carl XVI Gustav in cases where he himself cannot fulfill his duties for some reason. Her “job” includes official visits, representing the country and the royal family at events.

King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia and Crown Princess Victoria at a luncheon for Queen Margrethe II of Denmark

8. Victoria is godmother to many of Europe's royal children. These include her niece, Princess Leonore, as well as Prince Constantine Alexios of Greece, Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway, Prince Christian of Denmark, and Princess Eleanor of Belgium.

9. In 1997, it was announced that Princess Victoria had anorexia. The official statement said she was receiving professional help and was continuing her studies at Yale University. During this difficult time, the royal court tried to ensure that Victoria could live in privacy and recover, without experiencing pressure from the press.

Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine

10. It is not easy for the Crown Princess to remember this time. In 2002, she said in an interview:

I had an eating disorder and deep depression. I, Victoria, did not exist. I only felt that everything in my life and around me was controlled by others. The only thing I could control was my food intake. I feel good now and hope I can help someone else.

11. Before meeting her husband, Daniel Westling, Victoria was also in a relationship with Daniel, but Kollert, the stepson of the influential Swedish banker Göran Kollert. Their romance did not surprise anyone - from childhood they were next to each other - they studied at the same school, were friends and moved in the same social circles. The relationship was officially confirmed by the Crown Princess herself in 2000, but the royal court ignored this statement. Victoria's relatives did not like Victoria's choice, and the girl's parents stated that they were against the marriage. And in this case, as you know, the heir to the throne has to choose - either he submits to the will of his father and mother and subsequently becomes a monarch, or he follows his feelings and is deprived of the throne. There was no happy ending - the young people broke up in 2001.

Carl XVI Gustaf, Princess Madeleine, Queen Silvia, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Victoria

12. Yours true love Victoria met in 2002. Her second chosen one, Daniel Westling, also could not boast of noble origin. Moreover, he worked as the princess's personal sports trainer. For a long time they did not confirm their relationship and rarely went out together. In 2009, rumors appeared about an upcoming wedding, which soon turned into an official engagement. New chosen one The royal family liked the heiress, and on June 19, 2010, the 34th anniversary of the marriage of Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, Daniel and Victoria officially became husband and wife.

Daniel Westling and Princess Victoria at a basketball game in Stockholm, 2003

Daniel Westling and Princess Victoria at her birthday party

13. The wedding ceremony took place at the Stockholm Cathedral. More than 1,200 guests were invited to it. This event was watched not only by the whole of Sweden, but also by millions of television viewers around the world. Subsequently, the ceremony was called "the largest royal wedding Europe" since the marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1981.

Wedding of Daniel Westling and Princess Victoria

14. In August 2011, it became known that the Crown Princess was expecting a child. The baby, Princess Estelle, was born in February 2012.

Princess Victoria with her daughter, Princess Estelle
Daniel Westling, Crown Princess Victoria and their daughter, Princess Estelle

15. Victoria does not stay away from many good deeds. The heir to the Swedish throne supports a number of charitable organizations and travels on “good” missions around the world. She is also a member of the Honorary Council of the International Paralympic Committee.

Happy Birthday, Victoria!

Princess Victoria holding a wombat at Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary

July 14, the birthday of Crown Princess Victoria (or, as they also like to call it, “Victoria Day”) is practically a national holiday for Sweden. In addition to the vibrant street celebrations and fairs, the event program traditionally includes a ceremonial part on the territory of the Solliden Palace and a royal gun salute (in the evening). In honor of her birthday, the Swedish court invariably pleases the people of the country with new official portraits of Victoria, in which the Crown Princess usually poses modestly, without boasting of symbols of her status - without tiaras, heavy dresses and other formal attributes royal power.

Last year, for the anniversary of their beloved Crown Princess, the grateful Swedes even made a short film as a gift, which, in the form of short interviews with Victoria and her husband Prince Daniel, tells about the future queen, her character and family. The film, I must say, turned out to be truly touching: in one of the episodes, the daughter of Crown Princess Estelle clumsily prepares Carbonara pasta especially for her mother, in another - the loving husband Daniel, tearing up, talks about the strength of his wife’s character, and in the third - Victoria herself, nothing hiding and smiling modestly, she initiates the audience into her childhood problems and complexes.

Yes, it is Swedish Crown Princess– always smiling, sincere and caring. And this is precisely why her subjects adore her.

Breath of fresh air

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden received the enviable title of first heir to the throne at the age of three (thus beating her younger brother) and has since masterfully ruled the hearts of ordinary Swedes for almost four decades. Her character, habits and lifestyle are disarming - the citizens of Sweden will not let you lie: 56% of the country's population not only have a positive attitude towards the princess, but are not at all against Victoria ascending the throne even before the death of her father, the current King of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf .

With her title, Victoria, no matter how funny it may sound when applied to the future monarch, marked the triumph of democracy and equality in her country. The fact is that until 1980, only boys had the right to inherit the throne in Sweden. Victoria was the first child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, and therefore, according to the tradition of succession to the throne, she should have ceded the throne to her future brother, regardless of when he was destined to be born. But, fortunately, by the end of the 20th century, progressive ideas of gender equality penetrated into the “ossified” royal court of Sweden, and already in 1980 the country adopted a constitutional amendment, according to which the right to inherit the throne was assigned to the eldest child in the royal family, regardless of his floor.

The new status also gave rise to new restrictions. Victoria had to fight for her right to happiness with double tenacity.

Victoria's younger brother, Prince Carl Philip, who was born in 1979 and from whom the Crown Princess “took” his title, certainly does not regret his loss. He, not burdened by the responsibilities of always “keeping face,” was allowed to disappear late at parties, ignore many protocol events, and even marry the model of men’s magazines, Sofia Hellquist. The sword of Damocles of royal protocol hung over Victoria from childhood, and she had to fight for her right to happiness with double tenacity.

How do they grow up to be queens?

Victoria's character as a true ruler is innate. Her Highness was not broken either by congenital dyslexia, or by classmates’ ridicule of her illness, or by the anorexia that she suffered as a student. The girl never skipped school, and, having graduated from the most prestigious gymnasium in the country, greedily began to absorb all the best that world universities could offer for the education of the future monarch.

Her Highness spent the first year of her student life at the Western Catholic University in Angers (France). Then four semesters awaited her at Yale, where Victoria could independently create a curriculum for herself (the Crown Princess was interested in public administration, political science, diplomacy, peacekeeping and humanities). And enviable internships followed: in the Swedish parliament, at the Swedish embassy in Washington, at the UN...

In total, after school, Victoria studied and trained for 15 years (Her Highness even served for three weeks in the Swedish army). As a result, the Crown Princess received an education that could be the envy of the most talented statesmen and the most skillful diplomats. The Crown Princess chose to complete her prestigious studies with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Uppsala University.

Love, a throne and two Daniels

If the personal life of Prince Carl Philip most often belonged to him alone, then romantic relationship the future ruler of Sweden was always subject to harsh evaluation by the royal court. By the grace of Victoria, even her younger sister Madeleine: according to the protocol, the princess had no right to marry before her older sister, and, despite the fact that the girl was already long time met with lawyer Jonas Bergström, the couple could not legalize their relationship.

History is silent about how Victoria felt for the inconvenience caused to her sister, but one thing is certain: her heart future queen stubbornly refused to love someone out of convenience. From the very birth of his daughter, the Crown Princess's father secretly cherished the dream of marrying Victoria to Prince Frederik of Denmark, but, fortunately, the times of forced marriages are long gone.

Victoria herself for a long time dreamed of marrying her first school love, Daniel Collert. Now he is a famous film producer in Sweden, but then, many years ago, he was the first handsome boy in school who dreamed of becoming an actor. Victoria and Daniel began dating in high school, but the Crown Princess officially confirmed her relationship with her former classmate only in 2000. Daniel himself rarely talked about his affair with Victoria: the fame of the “princess’s boyfriend”, given his ambitions to go down in cinema history, did not suit him at all. And Victoria, as her father assured her, a relationship with a simpleton threatened to be deprived of her title.

But still it was love. Love, which the couple tried to protect in New York, although it is still not known for certain who went overseas for whom - either Victoria for Daniel, who then entered the Columbia University Theater and Film Institute, or he for the princess, when she , entered Yale. In any case, this love did not live long: Victoria plunged headlong into social activities, and Daniel - into arthouse cinema and new, less binding relationships.

It was a painful separation, but soon fate took revenge, giving Victoria another Daniel - and also of non-royal blood. Daniel Westling was the girl’s personal trainer, and, it would seem, also could not lay claim to the role of the husband of the future queen. But either Victoria became more persistent in her desires, or Carl XVI Gustav was politely reminded how he once married a simple translator from Germany and made her Queen Silvia, but the second Daniel received not only permission to become the husband of the crown princess, but also the royal title in dowry.

Their wedding took place in 2010 and was immediately recognized as the most luxurious royal wedding in the world - of course, after the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana in 1981 (and, of course, before the celebration of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011). It cost $2.5 million (half paid for by the Swedish royal family and the other half from taxpayers), was attended by 1,200 people, and was broadcast worldwide. In support of the event, the cultural festival “Love in Stockholm” was held in Sweden, and the royal court issued a series of “wedding” stamps.

At first, simple scrupulous Swedes, from whose taxes such gorgeous wedding, were seriously outraged by the spending of the royal court, but soon thawed: so great was their love for their princess. Victoria's husband also received approval: about 70% of Swedes believed that Prince Daniel would cope well with the duties of the future king consort.

Now the couple is raising two children. And, by the way, the first girl born to Victoria and Daniel was Estelle Sylvia Eva Marie, who, according to new reform, the first to inherit the throne from her parents. In Sweden, Victoria's future reign and Estelle's subsequent reign have already been dubbed the “Age of Queens.”

New Queen with a living King

Well, while most Swedes stubbornly advocate for Victoria to ascend to the throne as soon as possible, the Crown Princess is already fully engaged in royal affairs. But don’t be alarmed: no one is going to bury old Carl XVI Gustav; the princess is simply playing the role of regent in the absence of the king. And he is absent quite often, because his daughter is already doing an excellent job: she is more active, and her ratings are much higher. Increasingly, Victoria makes state visits to Russia instead of her father. various countries peace and chairs the Advisory Council on foreign affairs– the first serious international issue in which Victoria showed herself as a full-fledged statesman was the 2008 war in Georgia.

In addition to politics, Victoria is actively involved in peacekeeping and charity. Her own Foundation to support leisure activities for children with chronic diseases and developmental problems was launched in 1997: Victoria probably remembers very well how difficult it was for her to struggle with dyslexia at school. Now the Crown Princess openly talks about her childhood and youth problems, emphasizing in every possible way that, like billions of people on Earth, she is a simple person, with her own shortcomings. Such spontaneity and philanthropy make more and more subjects fall in love with the Crown Princess every year, so it is possible that very soon Queen Victoria will go down in history as the most popular monarch of Sweden.

A series of short films released for the 40th birthday of Crown Princess Victoria (text in Swedish, but much is clear without words):

Photo credit: Håkan Dahlström on Foter.com / CC BY

When a good magazine asked me to write my recovery story, the editor asked: “Are you sure you want to put your name on it? Maybe it’s better anonymously, is publicity necessary?” And I remembered my beloved princess and her story. Here she is.

Heir to the Swedish throne

Twenty years ago, anorexia became a test for young Victoria and the entire royal family - and they coped with honor.

Unlike Princess Diana and her circle, Victoria and her parents decided not to hide the disease. After the famous photo in which a girl’s gloves fell off at a reception because her hands became thin, like matches, the media began to speculate. King Gustav made a statement to the alarmed press - yes, the Crown Princess has an eating disorder and she has begun therapy.

Anorexia is a huge internal conflict

Photo Credit: Kungahuset.se

The illness was caused by extreme stress - until the age of 18, Victoria led a solitary life, and having begun to help her father, she was not ready for the relentless attention of the media, hundreds of glances focused on her, and fell into a panic in public. She was frightened by responsibility and at the same time she wanted to become a worthy successor to King Gustav.

Victoria grew up cheerful, athletic, with the makings of a leader, like her father. Since childhood, I went hiking and sailing with him, mastered and fell in love with seamanship. In winter - sleds and skis, in summer - hiking in the forest and mountains, living in tents. As the eldest, she took care of younger brother and sister, received excellent grades at school, although studying was not easy for her.

“I passionately wanted to be better, to do more than was objectively humanly possible, and I pushed and pushed myself forward, beyond my limits. real opportunities, Victoria will say 20 years later in documentary film on Swedish TV. “I needed time to figure things out, learn to express my feelings in words and thus learn my real boundaries and stick to them. My perfectionism hasn’t gone away, but now I’m taking advantage of it and have learned to keep it within healthy boundaries.”

“Anorexia is a huge internal conflict, and I’m glad that the disease came to the surface so early, I was able to take action in time. It is very important that there were people nearby whom I trusted and with whom I could talk, ease my soul, not necessarily doctors. I learned to find peace and calm within myself and maintain it.”

Due to anorexia, Victoria abruptly changes her plans for the future - instead of studying political science at Uppsala University in her native Sweden, as she initially wanted, the girl goes overseas for two years, to Yale University - in order to temporarily stop being a princess, dissolving among ordinary people. She studied languages ​​and political science while undergoing therapy for anorexia.

“That time strengthened me and I am very grateful for the experience,” she would say later. – If I hadn’t gone through it myself Hard times, I wouldn’t have learned a lot of what I know now. Now I understand others better and can help others.”

“In the US, I had peace and anonymity - what I needed most. I spoke freely to anyone, without fear of being recognized. I love meeting people, getting to know people - going into a cafe and starting a conversation with the waiter or with someone in the checkout line at the store. It feels like a little adventure."

I have to do this, so I will

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons

“Many times in life you find yourself in difficult situation, but you need to go through them. If not me, then who instead of me? Each of us has our own responsibilities in the family and at work.”

“I’m always afraid of not being able to cope, of making a mistake, of not being up to par, of not living up to expectations. If you wind yourself up in advance, you can simply go crazy. Therefore, I try to deal with things as they come, to concentrate on the task that needs to be solved now.”

“The hardest thing is when they expect me to take the first step, but I have no idea what to do. The only saving thought is that I have to do it, so I will do it. There's no way to run away or say you're too scared. But that’s often how I feel.”

About friends and love

When trials come our way, we learn who our true friends are. Victoria is no exception. You will find out who you can trust and who is only with you to bask in the rays of royal glory. “I think all people go through this. I also asked myself: is this the person for me? a true friend or not?" and was disappointed many times. Every time it hurts, just like the first time.”

Victoria is Sweden's favorite. When it turned out that she had chosen a fitness trainer with an unremarkable appearance as her groom, her subjects became more worried than her father-king: was this simpleton worthy of our dear princess?

Victoria and Daniel met in one of the regular fitness clubs - the princess came to work out there, and Daniel was its owner and part-time fitness trainer. He comes from a simple family! Can't say two words in English! Dresses unknown how, no elegance! Moreover, as luck would have it, the princess's fiancé looked very much like the alleged killer of Swedish politician Anna Lindh - the police were looking for him at that moment and identikit photos were hanging all over the country.

The king nevertheless approved the wedding, and Victoria said that she considered herself very lucky: “Can you imagine what it’s like - just yesterday your life was your personal matter, and today it is being examined almost under a microscope? Not everyone decides to become the husband of a princess, I was very lucky.” Four years ago the couple gave birth to daughter Estelle, and in March 2016 - son Oscar.

About the fate of the princess

Photo credit: Wiki Commons

One of the journalists who accompany Victoria everywhere recalled their joint visit to Africa - Uganda and Ethiopia. "At the princess's amazing ability eat the strangest food without a single grimace of disgust. Once, in the poorest hut somewhere in the middle of nowhere in Uganda, we were treated to the most disgusting tasting stew. I was relieved to refuse the supplement, but Victoria next to me did not want to offend the owners - she thanked her, said “of course” and ate a little more.”

She was vying with calls to star in romantic comedies—Hollywood directors were inundating her with scripts, but each received a polite “no thanks,” in response. She chose a different role for herself - to be a princess, to represent her native Sweden among other countries and to help people as best she could.

“Of course, there are days when I don’t want to be recognized on the street - I wrap myself in some sweater and go out,” admits Victoria. “But if people recognize, smile and greet, I immediately melt and would give anything for their smile, their love means a lot to me.”

“When I was younger, I had a hard time because I didn’t know how to feel about myself, how to behave with friends, or what to do with life in general. But now I have fully accepted my role and want to fulfill my life’s mission to the best of my ability.”

) - heir to the Swedish throne, daughter of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden from the Bernadotte dynasty and Queen Silvia, elder sister Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine. Victoria had the title of princess from birth, but after the constitutional reform of 1980, which changed the order of succession to the throne towards absolute primogeniture, she became crown princess Sweden.

She was baptized into the Royal Church of Sweden on September 27, 1977. Her godparents became King Harald V of Norway, maternal uncle Ralf Sommerlath, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and her aunt Princess Desiree, Baroness Silverskiold.

Currently holds the title HRH The Crown Princess. Through her father, who is a fourth cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, she is also heir to the British throne in the line of succession to the throne of the Commonwealth of Nations and is in 205th place.

Graduated primary school and a gymnasium in 1996. Afterwards she studied for a year (1996-1997) at the Western Catholic University in Angers, France, and in the fall of 1997 took part in special program, recruiting students for subsequent work in the Swedish Parliament, where she became familiar with the structure of the Swedish economy, the principle of national and local structure and gained the knowledge necessary to work in the field of European politics. From 1998 to 2000 she lived in the USA, where she studied various items at Yale University (New Haven, Connecticut).

In May 1999, she completed an internship at the Swedish Embassy in Washington, and then served for three weeks in the Swedish army. In 2000, she took a course at the Swedish National Cathedral College in the program of world conflict resolution and organization peacekeeping activities. Since that time, she has increasingly appeared at official state events, participation in which is part of the royal duties.

During the spring semester, I completed a training program together with the Swedish Agency international cooperation(SIDA), after which, in June of the same year, she completed an internship at the UN in New York, and in the fall - at the offices of the Swedish Trade Organization in Berlin and Paris. In the fall of 2004, I attended a course of lectures on political science with an emphasis on the settlement international conflicts at the National Defense College in Stockholm. In 2006-2007 she worked as a diplomat at the Swedish State Department, where she gained knowledge about the work of ministries, Swedish foreign policy and foreign security policy. In 2007 I studied French and completed an internship at the Swedish representation of the European Union.

Although Victoria has long refused to advertise her personal life, it is often discussed by the press, which has attributed various novels to her. She herself confirmed only two of them, and they lasted a considerable time.

Her first friend was Daniel Collert. They studied at the same school, were friends since childhood and moved in the same social circles. Their romance was in the 1990s, and after Victoria moved to the United States to continue her studies in 1998, Collert followed her and they lived together for some time in New York. In September 2000, Victoria officially confirmed her relationship with Collert in her interview with EXPO 2000, and later confirmation was received from the then director of the Department of Information and Press at the Royal Court, Elizabeth Tarras-Wahlberg. But soon, in 2001, they broke up.

In May 2002, the Swedish newspaper Expressen reported that Victoria was having an affair with her personal sports coach, Daniel Westling. The wedding was attended by about 1,200 guests, including royalty and statesmen from different countries, who attended the ceremony at Stockholm Cathedral, and the wedding banquet took place at the Royal Palace. Also the day before, a gala concert was held at the Stockholm Concert Hall dedicated to the newlyweds. More than half a million Swedes greeted the Crown Princess's wedding cortege with flags as they walked from the church to the castle. Victoria's popularity increased significantly after the wedding and social polls show that 70% of Swedes support her and only 16% would like to abandon her rule in the future.