Victoria Sweden. Inspiration from the Swedish princess Victoria. Princess Victoria's children

Peaceful lapping of blue lakes, small summer houses on skerry islands, paving stones of old streets, countless signs of the former knightly greatness in Stockholm... All this is Sweden. In this blissful land, change is not too favored. Monarchy is a guarantee of stability and order, rituals are unshakable.

To be born into the Swedish royal family means to know your fate in advance. So did Crown Princess Victoria. A girl who managed to follow all the rules of behavior that befit the heir to the throne ... and deceive fate. And become happy.

Her Royal Highness Victoria of Sweden, the Crown Princess of Sweden, the Duchess of Westergotland... The owner of all these magnificent titles was born in the most ordinary, loving - albeit crowned - family. The family chronicle is replete with touching memories. The head of the newborn was covered with dark curls, over which dad burst into tears with emotion. Two years later, Victoria had a brother, and three more years later, a sister () ... The children grew up friendly, baked cookies together, took care of their pets - Snuff the rabbit and Dino and Chili puppies. Such warm memories are in the piggy bank of every “equally happy”, according to Tolstoy, family. That's just a reflection of gold from the royal crown strongly distinguishes them from a number of ordinary ones. Baby Wiccan had to take on the burden of responsibility early. From childhood, she was prepared for the idea that she would one day become a queen.

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden grew up as a correct and obedient girl. I tried to match the high-profile title. Took care of the younger ones. She studied diligently, although it cost a lot of work: from her father, Carl XVI Gustav, she inherited not only regalia and titles, but also a disease - dyslexia.

What Victoria was definitely spared from was problems with choosing a profession. While her classmates were looking for themselves, she was already learning how to fulfill royal duties. And performed with might and main. Friends joke that Victoria has a callus on her hand from scissors, with which it is customary to cut red ribbons on the occasion of some kind of discovery. Ribbons are rubbish.

But to become a general of the Air Force and the army, as well as an admiral of the fleet for a young girl is a rare achievement. To what does not oblige the role of the heir to the throne!

With adulthood, adult problems began. Preparing for the role of the queen is knowing that you can’t stumble: only impeccable style and strict suits, only secular etiquette in everything to the smallest detail. Anorexia on a nervous basis. " I tried too hard to please everyone, to be the best, and it threw me off balance.". In the same way, the first great love knocked me out of balance, deprived me of peace and sleep. When Victoria was sixteen, she met eighteen-year-old handsome Daniel Kollert at a friendly party. They have been together for over seven years. How do you say "tili-tili-dough, bride and groom" in Swedish? The press was preparing to perform a teaser in different voices. At one of the press conferences, Victoria blurts out: yes, there are feelings. Yes, maybe there will be a marriage. And Daniel was bombarded with questions. When is the wedding? What is it like to be the bridegroom of a princess? Journalists are persistent. Perhaps it was a test of strength. Few can withstand such pressure. Daniel couldn't. The couple broke up. Victoria, as a completely modern girl, went to relieve stress from a break in the gym.

And I met... Daniel again. Only already another. The one who became her beloved husband. Daniel Westling fitness trainer and businessman. The elite fitness club "Master Trailing", where Victoria came to train, is his brainchild. With her, as with a VIP client, Daniel conducted training himself. What happened within the walls of the club, no one except this couple knows for sure - but the "simple guy" Daniel managed to melt the heart of a strict and correct princess. With the endurance of a real athlete, he went through the aimed fire of questions from journalists, low-flying jokes (at first in Sweden they were very fond of making fun of the fact that the princess chose a “near-minded” and “stupid” lover) and even through the scandal associated with the fact that “ Master training "dark with taxes (it turns out that Daniel was deceiving his own future relatives, the royal family?). Love won.

The wedding of the princess and the fitness trainer was celebrated by the whole country. On June 19, 2010, more than half a million Swedes saw off the wedding procession with enthusiastic exclamations. Stockholm on this June day turned into a raging sea, there were no indifferent to the wedding. The ratings of the princess skyrocketed - the residents, whatever one may say, were pleased to know that the strict and correct "Snow Queen" had a warm heart beating in his chest, capable of passionate love for a "mere mortal".

Today, this love has a charming three-year result - Princess Estelle Silvia Eva Mary. Someday she will learn from her mother how to properly prepare for the succession to the throne, observing all the rules of etiquette - and most importantly, do not forget to trust your feelings.

crown princess Victoria(full name Victoria Ingrid Alice Desire, Victoria Ingrid Alice Dsire), Duchess of Westergotland(Swedish Kronprinsessan Victoria, Sveriges kronprinsessa, hertiginna av Vstergtland; born July 14, 1977 in Stockholm) - heir to the Swedish throne, daughter of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden from the Bernadotte dynasty and Queen Silvia, older sister of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine. Victoria at birth had the title of princess, but after the constitutional reform of 1980, which changed the order of succession towards the primogeniture, she became Crown Princess of Sweden.

Biography

Victoria was born on July 14, 1977 at the Karolinska University Hospital in the suburbs of Stockholm - Solna and was the first child in the family of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Queen Silvia. Born as a princess of Sweden, but after the entry into force of a constitutional amendment on January 1, 1980, she was appointed Crown Princess, ahead of her younger brother Prince Carl Philip. The princess's name day is celebrated on March 12, and on her birthday, July 14, the national flag is raised.

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

Victoria currently holds the title of Her Royal Highness The Crown Princess. Through her father, who is a second cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, she is also heir to the British throne in the order of succession to the throne of the Commonwealth of Nations is in 205th place.

Education

Victoria graduated from elementary school and gymnasium in 1996. After a year (1996-1997) she studied at the Western Catholic University in Angers, France, and in the fall of 1997, she took part in a special program recruiting students for subsequent work in the Swedish Parliament, where she got acquainted 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 Victoria lived in the USA where she studied various subjects at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.

In May 1999, Victoria completed an internship at the Swedish Embassy in Washington, DC, and then served three weeks in the Swedish army. In 2000, she took a course at the Swedish National Cathedral College on the program for the settlement of world conflicts and the organization of peacekeeping activities. During this time, she appears more and more often on official state visits, which is part of her upcoming government.

During the spring semester, Victoria completed a training program with the Swedish International Cooperation Agency (SIDA), after which, in June of the same year, she completed an internship at the UN in New York, and in the autumn at the offices of the Swedish Trade Organization in Berlin and Paris. In autumn 2004 she lectured in political science with a focus on international conflict resolution at the National Defense College in Stockholm. In 2006-2007 she worked as a diplomat at the Swedish Department of State, where she gained knowledge about ministries, Swedish foreign policy and foreign security policy. In 2007, Victoria studied French and did an internship at the Swedish Delegation of the European Union.

In June 2009, Victoria graduated from the University of Uppsala with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

royal duties

As heir to the throne, Victoria acts as regent in cases where Carl XVI Gustaf is unable to fulfill his duties as head of state and monarch. Such duties include, among others, official visits, representing Sweden and the royal family at public events; Victoria also manages her own program, which provides assistance in resolving international conflicts, participates in international peacekeeping activities and provides support to people with disabilities.

The royal family is certainly no stranger to the constant scrutiny of the Swedish and foreign media. However, in recent years, several significant events have taken place in the Bernadotte family, which have attracted even more attention from the press and the public, both in Sweden itself and beyond its borders.

Perhaps no event in 2010 was followed by the public as closely as the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling, which took place on June 19, 2010.

The celebration of the wedding of Victoria and Daniel, the former owner of the sports club and personal trainer of the princess, lasted three days. Thousands of people came to the Swedish capital to congratulate the young couple. Photos of the happy newlyweds have been on the covers of newspapers and magazines all over the world for several weeks.

Eighteen months later, on February 23, 2012, Victoria and Daniel had a daughter, Princess Estelle Silvia Eva Mary, at the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm. She is second in line to the throne. Princess Estelle's younger brother, Prince Oscar Carl Olof, was born on March 2, 2016.

french roots

The Swedish monarchical tradition is about a thousand years old. During this time, eleven dynasties have changed, including the current ruling dynasty of Bernadotte. The founder of the dynasty, Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, Marshal of the Napoleonic army, became Crown Prince of Sweden in 1810. He ascended the throne under the name Karl XIV Johan. The royal family of Sweden is related to all the royal courts of Europe.

Christening of Prince Nicholas by Archbishop Antje Jaquelin.

royal weddings

Almost on the same day, only two years later, on February 20, 2014, Victoria's younger sister, Madeleine, gave birth to a daughter, Princess Leonor Lilian Maria. The baby's father is British-American businessman Christopher O'Neill. On June 15, 2015, the couple had a son, Prince Nicholas. The youngest daughter, Princess Adrienne, was born on March 9, 2018.

The wedding of Princess Madeleine and Christopher O'Neill took place on June 8, 2013 at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, after which the celebration continued at Drottningholm Palace, the residence of the royal family.

To retain the title of Her Royal Highness, Princess Madeleine did not take the surname O'Neill. Unlike Prince Daniel, Christopher O'Neill chose to renounce his royal titles and retain British and US citizenship. As such, he is not an official member of the Swedish royal family.

In June 2014, the Royal House of Sweden announced the engagement of the middle of the three royal children, Prince Carl Philip and his fiancee Sophia Hellqvist. The wedding took place on June 13, 2015 in Stockholm. Hellqvist is a former model and reality TV contestant. The couple has been living together since 2011. On April 19, 2016, Princess Sofia gave birth to her son, Prince Alexander Eric Hubertus Bertil. Their youngest son, Prince Gabriel Karl Walter, was born on August 31, 2017.

Carl XVI Gustaf

Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel chose June 19 for their wedding. On this day in 1976, the current king of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf, married Queen Silvia.

King Carl XVI Gustaf is the seventh monarch of the Bernadotte dynasty. He was born on April 30, 1946, was the fifth child in the family and the only son of Crown Prince Gustav Adolf and Princess Sibylla. Crown Prince Gustav Adolf died in a plane crash in Denmark a year after the birth of his son.

In 1950, after the death of his great-grandfather Gustav V, Carl Gustaf became Crown Prince of Sweden. Then his grandfather, 68-year-old Gustav VI Adolf, ascended the Swedish throne.

Gustav Adolf ruled for 23 years and died in 1973. In the same year (at the age of 27), the crown prince ascended the throne and became King Carl XVI Gustaf. Its motto is "For Sweden - at all times!"

Three generations of the royal family.

Queen's career

The translator Silvia Sommerlath, a native of Germany, at one time, probably, could not have imagined that she was destined to become the queen of Sweden. Sylvia met her future husband in 1972, at the Olympic Games in Munich, where Sylvia worked as a senior guide.

Silvia is the first Queen of Sweden to have a professional career before her marriage. In those days, marriages of royalty with "people of the people" were extremely rare. Queen Silvia managed to change the image of the queen, making it more modern. In her relationship with the king, she reigns, and Sylvia herself is engaged in social activities, paying especially much attention to the rights of children.

Photo: Kate Gabor/Kungahuset

For Sweden - at all times!

Sweden combines what a few decades ago seemed incongruous: based on the principles of equality, and a monarchy with strong historical traditions.

The most important symbol of Sweden and formally the head of state, according to the constitution of 1974, the king has no political power. The duties of the monarch are mainly ceremonial and representational.

King Carl XVI Gustaf makes a lot of efforts for and is considered an authority on environmental issues. Among other things, he received an award from the US Environmental Protection Agency. He pays no less attention to the preservation of the cultural heritage of Sweden and believes that the royal palaces with their magnificent collections and parks should be available to everyone.

Difficult everyday life of the monarch

King Carl XVI Gustaf is an active monarch who is interested in what is happening in the country, including Swedish business. In addition to two or three annual official visits to other countries, he participates in international trips organized by the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering and the World Scout Organization.

Every year the royal receives thousands of invitations. Once a week, the King holds a meeting with the Queen, the Crown Princess and immediate subordinates to review the invitations and decide which ones are the most important. During the year, the royal family manages to visit all corners of Sweden.

When the King is unable to fulfill his duties (for example, during a trip abroad), Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip or Princess Madeleine - in that order - temporarily assume the duties of regents.

Famous Swedish Monarchs

Gustav II Adolf

Gustav II Adolf ruled from 1611 to 1632. Thanks to his participation in the Thirty Years' War, he was able to prove himself as a talented military figure and an experienced diplomat. Under his leadership, Sweden acquired one of the most combat-ready armies. Gustav II Adolf was killed in 1632 at the battle of Lützen. Parliament decided to honor the memory of the monarch, giving him the title of Gustavus Adolphus the Great. None of the Swedish kings ever received such an honor.

Queen Christina

With the exception of the short (1719-1720) reign of Queen Ulrika Elenora, Queen Christina is the only female monarch in recent Swedish history. Queen Christina succeeded Gustav II Adolf in 1632, on the eve of her sixth birthday, reigned for 22 years, and abdicated in 1654. Then she converted to Catholicism and settled in Rome, yielding the throne to her cousin Carl Gustav. When he died in 1660, she returned to Sweden in the hope of regaining the throne. However, her demand was rejected by Parliament, and Christina had to return to Rome.

Gustav III

Gustav III ruled from 1771 to 1792 and is often referred to as the "King of the Theatre". He was a keen patron of the arts, especially theater and opera, founding the first opera in Stockholm (in 1782), the Swedish Academy and the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. Gustav III's methods of government were not popular with the higher aristocracy. The result of this confrontation was a conspiracy in 1792: Gustav III was mortally wounded by a shot by Jakob Johan Ankarström during a masquerade ball at the Royal Opera in Stockholm. Ankarström later confessed to his crime and was executed.

Future Queen of Sweden

Replacing her father on the royal throne over time, Crown Princess Victoria will become the 70th Swedish monarch and the third female monarch in Swedish history.

Crown Princess Victoria's daily routine includes official dinners, opening ceremonies and meetings with high-ranking international guests. In addition, she attends the Advisory Council on Foreign Relations and meetings held by ministers, and also temporarily acts as regent when necessary.

Victoria makes many official visits. Her first independent visit took place in 2001 - to Japan, where she presented the achievements of her country:, and. By the way, the Crown Princess takes a personal interest in all these areas. In addition to Swedish, she speaks English, French and German.

What did the crown princess learn

Victoria received her primary education at, and her secondary education at a private school. Despite being dyslexic, thanks to her perseverance and love of learning, she graduated from high school in 1996 with good grades.
After graduating from high school, the Crown Princess studied French at the Western Catholic University in Angers, France.
In 1998, she entered Yale University in the United States, where she studied geology, history, and international relations. During her studies, she became very interested in the problems of international relations and did an internship at the UN in New York and at the Swedish Embassy in Washington.

In the spring of 2002, she continued her studies in international relations at the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies, Uppsala University, Sweden. As part of a training program at the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), she visited Uganda and Ethiopia. In addition, she trained at the offices of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Berlin and Paris, received basic military training and attended courses at the National Defense College (Försvarshögskolan) in Stockholm.

useful links

www.royalcourt.se The Royal Court of Sweden
www.sweden.gov.se Swedish government agencies

Love for art

Crown Princess Victoria loves painting and drawing. She highly values ​​the cultural heritage left by her ancestors. During big celebrations, she proudly wears the family jewels.

Office in the old town

Like the king and queen, the office of Crown Princess Victoria, in which her subordinates work, is located in the royal palace in the Old Town of Stockholm.

Hobby

Crown Princess Victoria loves spending time outdoors. She enjoys long walks, skiing and other outdoor activities. She is very fond of animals, especially dogs. As a young mother, she spends a lot of time with her daughter Estelle.

Life in Haga Palace

Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel and their daughter Estelle live in the Haga Palace near Stockholm, where King Carl XVI Gustaf was born and lived for some time.

Children's Fund The Crown Princess Victoria's Fund was established in 1997 to help organize recreational activities for children with functional disabilities or chronic illnesses.

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

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

2. Victoria was born in the status of 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 younger brother, Prince Carl Philip in line for the royal throne.

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

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

5. If Victoria ever ascends the throne, she will be the 4th reigning Queen of Sweden from 1720.

6. The Crown Princess' "educational" list is impressive. She studied at the Western Catholic University in Angers, France, at Yale University in America, did an internship at the Swedish Embassy in Washington, served in the Swedish army, completed a course at the Swedish National Cathedral College, did an internship at the UN in New York and in the offices of the Swedish trade organization in Berlin and Paris, lectured at the National Defense College in Stockholm. In addition, in her "baggage" there is also an internship at the Swedish Delegation of the European Union and a diploma from the University of Uppsala with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Princess Victoria poses outside the Getty Center art museums

7. As a direct heiress, Victoria is obliged to replace King Carl XVI Gustaf in cases where he himself cannot fulfill his duties for any reason. Her "work" includes official visits, representing the country and the royal family at events.

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

8. Victoria is godmother to many of the royal children of Europe. These include her niece, Princess Leonora, as well as the Greek Prince Constantine Alexios, Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway, Prince Christian of Denmark, Princess Eleonora of Belgium.

9. In 1997, it was announced that Princess Victoria had anorexia. The official statement said that she was receiving professional help and continued her studies at Yale University. During this difficult time, the royal court tried to make sure that Victoria could live in seclusion and recover without being pressured by the press.

Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine

10. Remembering this time is not easy for the crown princess. 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 food intake. Now I feel good and I hope that 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 revolved in the same social circles. The relationship was officially confirmed by the crown princess herself in 2000, but the royal court ignored this statement. The relatives did not like the choice of Victoria, and the girl's parents said they were against 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 follows his feelings and loses the throne. The happy ending did not work out - in 2001, the young people broke up.

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

12. Victoria met her true love in 2002. Her second chosen one, Daniel Westling, also could not boast of a noble origin. Moreover, he worked as a personal sports trainer for the princess. For a long time they did not confirm their relationship and rarely went out together. In 2009, there were rumors about the upcoming wedding, which soon turned into an official engagement. The royal family liked the new chosen one of the heiress, and on June 19, 2010, on 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 in the Cathedral of Stockholm. More than 1200 guests were invited to it. This event was watched not only by the whole of Sweden, but also by millions of viewers around the world. The ceremony has since been called "the biggest royal wedding in 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 baby. 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 stand aside from many good deeds. The heir to the Swedish throne supports a number of charitable organizations and travels with "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 the Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary

On June 19, 2010, the wedding ceremony of the Crown Princess of Sweden Victoria (the eldest daughter of three children of the royal couple) and her lover, "a native of the people" Daniel Westling, took place in Stockholm. Now 32-year-old Victoria, like all real princesses, finally became a happy wife, and Westling became the Prince of Sweden, the Duke of Vesterjetland and a Commander of the Order of Serafina.

The wedding marked the culmination of an eight-year romance between Victoria and her now former fitness trainer. It is Westling’s profession that haunts many: some are touchingly touched - they say, although the crown princess, but still a person, once she fell in love with a simple guy, others smirk ironically - well, well, the athlete was lucky. Be that as it may, the newlyweds themselves do not seem to pay any attention to either the rumors or the caustic comments, or even the fact that their wedding was left without the attention of the world's leading news agencies.

In fact, with Victoria's wedding, everything is not as simple as it might seem at first glance. For starters, Victoria has become one of the few heirs to the Swedish throne whose personal life seems to have improved. Unlike other Swedish monarchs: some of them, such as the sixth Queen of Sweden, Christina, neglected marriage, while others were simply unlucky - Victoria's younger sister Madeleine recently broke off her engagement with her fiancé who cheated on her.

But Victoria is different. She met Daniel Westling in 2002 when she came to the Master Training fitness center on the advice of her younger sister. A young Swedish trainer and part-time co-owner of Master Training received attention from the princess and became not only her personal fitness instructor, but also her lover.

Having learned about the humble origin and profession of a friend of Victoria, the Swedish public was divided into two camps. Some (mostly housewives and young students) supported Victoria, while others saw in the romance of the princess and the sports instructor a pitiful attempt by the court to “democratize” the monarchy and strengthen its position a little, because in recent years the authority of the royal family has fallen significantly.

Despite all the gossip and whispering, seven years after the beginning of the relationship between the crown princess and the coach, the royal family, initially opposed to the union of lovers, announced the engagement of Victoria and Daniel, the son of a postal employee and a minor municipal official.

Rumor has it that Victoria had to persuade her father, Carl XVI Gustaf, to allow her to marry Daniel for a long time. Despite the fact that the princess's father resisted at first, his persistent daughter nevertheless got her way, and Karl agreed to take Victoria to the altar.

Soon preparations for the upcoming wedding ceremony began in Sweden. The process of developing a plan for the celebration and organizing the celebration was accompanied by "popular unrest". So, when the Swedes found out that the wedding was going to be played with taxpayers' money, many of these same taxpayers fell into a real rage. "Actually, any normal Swedish father pays for his daughter's wedding out of his own pocket! This is exactly what Carl XVI Gustav should have done!" - the inhabitants of Sweden were indignant.

In Stockholm, there were even those who wanted to organize a protest during the wedding ceremony: activists of political organizations set out to walk around the center of the capital in T-shirts with the inscription "All my money went to pay for this wedding. I could only buy this T-shirt."

King Charles had to urgently calm the mood and demonstrate royal generosity. As a result, the king partially took over the financial hardships of the upcoming celebration, and the missing part was allocated from the treasury (in total, about three million euros were spent on the wedding).

Well, as a bonus, the indignant taxpayers were given the opportunity on the wedding day of Victoria and Daniel - June 19 - to ride the subway for free. And for the first few thousand passengers, surprises were prepared in the form of souvenir cards issued in honor of the newlyweds.

But all these measures did not avert another wave of popular anger from the Swedish royal family. When the princess turned to her father with a request, according to the old tradition, to accompany her to the altar, all the Swedish newspapers wrote about it. Moreover, the tone of the publications expressed the mood of many residents of the country: they say, following old-fashioned customs, Victoria once again demonstrates the inexpediency of the existence of a monarchy in modern Sweden.

Even the Swedish clergy defended this position. Archbishop Anders Weirud warned the princess against going to the altar arm in arm with her father, saying that such a ritual discredits the concept of equality of spouses and is humiliating, since it symbolizes the transfer of the bride from one man's hands to another. And yet the princess turned out to be stronger and higher than other people's opinions and did not abandon the tradition - it was decided that Carl XVI Gustav would lead her down the aisle.

However, the main reason for criticism of the upcoming ceremony was the fact that Daniel cannot boast of a noble origin. On this issue, however, opinions are divided.

Many believe that, having followed the lead of Victoria's desire to become the wife of a simple guy without titles, the Swedish monarchy has lost one of its foundations - the tradition of dynastic marriages - and is therefore doomed to extinction. Other, more romantically minded residents of the country, believe that the marriage of Victoria and Daniel, on the contrary, brought a slight revival to the traditionally calm royal nest.

Yes, and Daniel himself is very popular with women: 80 percent of the inhabitants of Sweden aged 18 to 89 years unanimously stated that the princess was very lucky with her husband. According to the compatriots of the heir to the throne, the former fitness trainer is a great fellow who is able to make the princess truly happy.

Opponents of the marriage of Victoria and Daniel decided to abandon the assessment of the personal qualities of the husband of the crown princess and looked deeper: critics of the newlyweds insist that Westling's humble origin does not so much make the union an exotic phenomenon for the monarchy as it threatens the existence of the succession system. So, they believe that the future first-born of the newlyweds should be deprived of the right to claim the Swedish throne and fight for the throne through direct elections.

Apparently, a book dedicated to the origin of Daniel Westling was recently published in Sweden especially for these skeptics. It was written by genealogist Bjorn Engstrom.

Engstrom's book says that Westling's family included not only simple Swedish and Finnish peasants, blacksmiths and soldiers, but also representatives of the nobility. For example, a genealogist found noble Russian roots in Daniel - one of his progenitors was the Russified Swedish aristocrat Margareta Ragvaldsdotter. In addition, prominent politicians, a senior courtier who served under Charles IX, and even the President of Finland were among Westling's ancestors. So, Engstrom reassured critics, Daniel's relatives are quite all right.

In general, no matter what anyone says, Daniel and Victoria got married. They played a traditional wedding with a white dress, a passage to the altar, vows of allegiance, a solemn parade and an exquisite dinner. Literally the whole of Stockholm poured into the streets and watched the solemn procession, seeing the princess down the aisle. Someone who did not have enough seats on the main streets, settled down at the TVs in bars, pubs or just at home.

By the way, about TVs: on the day of the wedding, the Swedish court banned any video materials from the wedding ceremony from being distributed outside the country for several hours. This step was not understood by representatives of the world's leading news agencies - AFP, Associated Press and Reuters decided to ignore the celebration in protest. The agencies issued an official statement stating that the video ban restricts freedom of the press.

The rest of the wedding went off without any hiccups and excesses. In total, more than a thousand guests attended the wedding of Victoria and her chosen one: statesmen, monarchs of Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands and Jordan, crown princes and princesses and other noble persons. All of them witnessed the oaths of allegiance, kisses and tears of happiness of the princess and the newly-made prince.

After the wedding, the newlyweds went for a walk around the city. Happy Victoria and Daniel were greeted by 250 thousand people who gathered in the center of Stockholm, as well as the crews of ships from Norway, Denmark and Great Britain.

Not all guests got to the gala dinner on the occasion of the wedding - only 558 people were invited to the table. For lunch, according to information that got into the press, they served cucumber jelly, pea soup with caviar, veal with a vegetable side dish, beets with nettle sauce, as well as strawberry mousse with rhubarb and ice cream. They washed down the treats with traditional wedding drinks - champagne and wines.

After the completion of all the celebrations, the newlyweds will have to move to their residence near Stockholm and live a happy family life. And the Swedish court and people will have to come to terms with the fact that Princess Victoria still married a simple guy without titles. Why shouldn't skeptics allow the idea that maybe these two really love each other?

On the eve of the wedding, the 36-year-old chosen one of the princess was awarded the title of Duke of Vastergotland, thus becoming Prince Daniel.

Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia and Crown Princess Katerina. Photo: EPA

Frederik (Crown Prince of Denmark) with his wife. Photo: EPA

Crown Prince Philip of Spain and Princess Letizia. Photo: EPA

Crown Prince Haakon of Norway with his wife. Photo: EPA

Queen Sonja of Norway. Photo: EPA

Bride and groom. Photo: EPA

Victoria and Daniel at the altar. Photo: EPA

The wedding dress with a five-meter train was designed by designer Per Engheden. Photo: EPA

After the wedding, the couple drove through the city center in a horse-drawn carriage ... Photo: EPA

And rode the boat. Photo: EPA

The gala dinner took place at Drottningholm Palace, where the newlyweds arrived by boat. Photo: EPA

Festive dinner in a close circle of 558 people. Photo: EPA

The first dance of the spouses. Photo: EPA

Thousands of spectators watched the solemn events. About 6,000 military personnel and 2,000 police officers provided security. Photo: EPA