Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland is the heir-apparent to the Swedish throne as the eldest child of His Majesty, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. She has two younger siblings, Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Varmland, and Princess Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland.
Biography
The Crown Princess was born Victoria Ingrid Alice Désirée, on July 14, 1977, at Karolinska Hospital in Solna. She is the eldest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Queen Silvia.
The Princess was christened in the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace on 27 September 1977. Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands (the future Queen of The Netherlands), her paternal aunt - Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld, Crown Prince Harald (the future King Harald V) of Norway, and Ralf Sommerlath stood as her godparents.
She was confirmed in the summer of 1992 at Räpplinge church on the island of Öland. The Crown Princess is a member of the Church of Sweden.
When she was born in 1977, Sweden still had an agnatic order of succession, meaning that only males could inherit the throne, and she was therefore born a princess and not in direct succession to the throne.
Her father's heir-apparent then was her younger brother, Prince Carl Philip. However, in 1979, legislation on full cognatic succession was introduced, meaning that the oldest child of the monarch will inherit the throne.
It took effect on January 1, 1980, and Princess Victoria replaced her younger brother as heir-apparent, thereby becoming The Crown Princess of Sweden. On 9 January 1980, her father decided to grant her the title, Duchess of Västergötland.
However, in the United Kingdom where the Swedish royals are also listed in the line of succession to the British throne as direct descendants of Queen Victoria, Prince Carl Philip precedes his older sister.
If Victoria ascends to the Swedish throne as expected, she would be Sweden's fourth queen regnant, after Queen Margaret, Queen Christina, and Queen Ulrika Eleonora. And the first since 1720.
Her given name, Victoria Ingrid Alice Désirée, honors various relatives. Her first name comes primarily from her great-great-grandmother Victoria of Baden, wife of King Gustaf V of Sweden.
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| The Crown Princess's coming of age with her parents. ©Roger Tillberg/Stella/kungahuset |
Her other names honor her great-aunt Queen Ingrid of Denmark; her maternal grandmother, Alice Soares de Toledo; her ancestor Désirée Clary, queen consort of Sweden; and her paternal aunt and godmother, Princess Désirée.
The Crown Princess speaks Swedish, English, French, and German.
Education
Victoria studied for a year at the Catholic University of the West at Angers in France, and in the fall term of 1997 participated in a special program following the work of the Riksdag.
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| The Crown Princess in 2008 ©Paul Hansen |
From 1998 to 2000, Victoria resided in the United States, where she studied various subjects at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.
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| The Crown Princess in 2009=8 ©Bruno Ehrs |
In May 1999, she was an intern at the Swedish Embassy in Washington, D.C. She completed a study program at the Government Offices in 2001.
In 2003, she continued her education with visits to Swedish businesses, a study and intern program in agriculture and forestry.
She also completed basic soldier training at SWEDINT (the Swedish Armed Forces International Centre).
In 2006, Victoria enrolled in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs' Diplomat Program and completed it in June 2007. In June 2009, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Uppsala University.
Public Life
As heir apparent to the throne, Crown Princess Victoria is a working member of the Swedish Royal Family with her own agenda of official engagements.
She attends the regular Advisory Council on Foreign Affairs and the information councils with Government ministers headed by the King, and steps in as a temporary regent (Riksföreståndare) when needed.
The Crown Princess steps in as a temporary regent if The King is prevented from fulfilling his duties as Head of State, for example during foreign visits to distant or inaccessible regions.
As heir to the throne, The Crown Princess is preparing for her future role as Head of State and works – together with The King – to obtain information and deeper knowledge about national and international issues.
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| The Crown Princess in 2019 ©Elisabeth Toll |
Her own program includes engagements relating to sustainability issues, with a focus on the climate, sea, and fishing, as well as crisis and conflict management, aid work, and international peace promotion.
She belongs to the House of Bernadotte, the Swedish royal family's royal house name since the 19th century.
Private Life
Crown Princess Victoria's first boyfriend was Daniel Collert. When Victoria moved to the United States in 1998 to study and recover from her eating disorders, anorexia nervosa, Collert moved with her across the Atlantic and settled in New York. The relationship ended in 2001.
In May 2002, Swedish newspaper, Expressen, reported that Victoria had a new boyfriend, her personal trainer at Master Training, Daniel Westling.
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| Wedding day in 2010 ©Paul Hansen |
The relationship was met with criticism due to Daniel Westling's commoner status. Victoria commented on criticism directed at Westling, “Many unfair things are written. I understand that there is speculation, but someday justice will be done there, too.”
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| Summer photoshoot in 2020 ©Sara Friberg |
Victoria also gave her opinion that happiness is important and that these days it is not so much about background and pedigree but about two people who have to live with each other.
Their relationship winded off criticism and secured the king's approval. Their engagement was announced in February 2009. Daniel gave the Crown Princess an engagement ring that features a solitaire round brilliant-cut diamond mounted on white gold.
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| The Crown Princess' couple and their children ©Linda Broström |
Their wedding took place on June 19, 2010, at Stockholm Cathedral on the 34th wedding anniversary of the bride's parents, The King and Queen.
The event saw the gatherings of members of the royal family around the world, diplomats, and the Swedish government officials.
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| The Crown Princess' couple and their children ©Linda Broström |
As the husband of The Crown Princess, Daniel was bestowed with the title of Prince of Sweden. Their first child, Princess Estelle, Duchess of Östergötland, was born on February 23, 2012, and their second child, Prince Oscar, Duke of Skåne, was born on March 2, 2016.
The issue on Tiaras
In a two-part documentary about Swedish royal jewels aired early this year, both Queen Silvia and Crown Princess Victoria spoke about wearing jewelry in the Swedish jewelry collection.
The ladies in the Swedish Royal Family, however, have a system in place to ensure they don’t wear the same crowns, tiaras, and suits when attending public engagements together.
As a result, some pieces are reserved specifically for Her Majesty Queen Silvia, with Crown Princess Victoria unable to wear them until she takes the throne.
Victoria also revealed that it is her father, the King, who chooses which royal wears what. “It’s part of a tradition", she said. “There’s jewelry that I think is reserved for my mother to wear. Not for me…for example the more large and ‘Queen-like’ tiaras.”
Queen Silvia and Crown Princess Victoria also revealed their favorite tiaras and how they decide what jewelry to wear for each occasion.
Insight was also given on how the royal ladies divide the various jewels when they are to attend an important event such as the Nobel Prize ceremony.
“It depends on the fabric, color, and style of the dress that one will wear. Sometimes we adapt the jewelry to the dress, sometimes the dress needs to be adapted to the jewelry", Queen Silvia revealed.
The Queen Consort also shared that they have to talk first before deciding on what style of dress to wear or what tiara best suited when attending a public event together.
“We try not to wear the same color altogether. They [Victoria, Sofia, and Madeleine] often ask me what I would like to wear and then I’ll ask what they would like. It’s a family conversation. We try to coordinate so it will be beautiful.”
After wearing an item from the royal collection, the Crown Princess is said to personally inspect whether all the diamonds and gems are still in place.
The Royal Court also has a jeweler who is responsible for the reparations and check-ups of these jewels.
As for their favorite pieces from the royal jewelry collection, Queen Silvia favors the Leuchtenberg Sapphire Tiara and the accompanying parure.
While Crown Princess Victoria's favorite is the Connaught Diamond Tiara, which originally belonged to her great-great-great-grandmother, Crown Princess Margareta, the granddaughter of Queen Victoria.
The Connaught Diamond Tiara was a wedding gift from Crown Princess Margareta's parents, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, and Princess Margaret Louise, Duchess of Connaught.
However, Crown Princess Victoria also revealed she loves to wear all the wonderful tiaras in the royal collection. The Nobel Prize ceremony every December in Stockholm is one of the most important annual events in Sweden that sees the Swedish royal ladies don tiaras.
Above photo: Victoria wore different tiaras to the Nobel Prize Ceremony. From left: The Swedish Aquamarine Kokoshnik Tiara, the Six Button Tiara, and her favorite - the Connaught Diamond Tiara.
Personal Interests
The Crown Princess likes to spend her free time appreciating Swedish nature and its changing seasons, often bringing her pet dog, Rio.
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| The Crown Princess with her dog, Rio |
She enjoys walking and skiing when the opportunity arises. Since her childhood, The Crown Princess has spent her summers on Öland. She now continues this tradition with her own family.
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