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Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden facts for kids

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Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland (born 14 July 1977), is the future queen of Sweden. She is the oldest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. If she becomes queen, she will be the fourth queen to rule Sweden on her own, and the first since 1720. Her right to the throne is protected by a law from 1980. This law was the first in Western Europe to say that the oldest child, no matter if they are a boy or a girl, will inherit the throne.

Growing Up

Princess Victoria was born on 14 July 1977, in Solna, Sweden. She was the first child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. She was baptized on 27 September 1977, and was given the names Ingrid, Alice, and Désirée, which are names from her family.

On 13 May 1979, her younger brother, Prince Carl Philip, was born. For about seven months, he was the Crown Prince. But on 1 January 1980, a new law changed how the throne was passed down. Before, only boys could inherit. The new law said the oldest child would inherit, whether a boy or a girl. This made Victoria the Crown Princess of Sweden. She also became the Duchess of Västergötland. Her father, King Carl XVI Gustaf, did not like that the law changed for his son after he was already named Crown Prince.

The family first lived in Stockholm Palace. About a year before Victoria's younger sister, Princess Madeleine, was born in 1982, they moved to Drottningholm Palace.

Victoria finished her high school studies in 1996 at Enskilda Gymnasium, where she studied science and social studies.

Learning and Studies

Victoria studied for a year in France (1996–1997). In 1997, she learned about how the Swedish Parliament (Riksdag) works. From 1998 to 2000, Victoria lived in the United States and studied different subjects at Yale University.

In May 1999, she worked as an intern at the Swedish Embassy in Washington, D.C. In 2001, Victoria finished a study program at the Government Offices of Sweden. In 2003, she visited Swedish businesses and studied agriculture and forestry. She also completed basic soldier training with the Swedish Armed Forces.

In 2006, Victoria joined a program for future diplomats. This program taught her about Sweden's foreign policy and its relationships with other countries. In June 2009, she earned a bachelor's degree in peace and conflict studies from Uppsala University.

She can speak Swedish, English, French, and German.

In August 2024, the Crown Princess began officer training at the Swedish Defence University. This training will help her learn about military strategy and prepare her for her future role as head of state, which includes representing the Armed Forces.

Personal Life

Crown Princess Victoria Sailing
Victoria sailing

Victoria's first boyfriend was Daniel Collert. They knew each other from school and friends. When Victoria moved to the United States in 1998 for her studies and to get help with her health, Daniel moved with her. Their relationship ended in 2001.

Meeting Daniel Westling

In the early 2000s, Victoria started going to a gym. There, she met her personal trainer, Daniel Westling. They began a romantic relationship that was kept secret for about six months.

In May 2002, a Swedish newspaper reported that Victoria and Daniel were dating. Daniel was not used to being in the public eye. In July 2002, they were seen kissing for the first time at a friend's birthday party.

In a TV show in 2004, Victoria talked about how people criticized Daniel. She said that happiness is important and that it's about two people living well together, not just their backgrounds.

Engagement and Marriage

People in Sweden often wondered when Victoria would get engaged. On 24 February 2009, it was announced that Victoria would marry Daniel Westling in the summer of 2010. The wedding took place in Stockholm Cathedral on 19 June 2010, which was also her parents' 34th wedding anniversary.

Royal Wedding Stockholm 2010-Slottsbacken-05 edit
The Crown Princess and Prince Daniel on their wedding day

The wedding was a big event with guests from royal families and countries around the world. After the ceremony, the couple rode through Stockholm in a coach and then in an old royal boat to the palace for a banquet. The night before the wedding, there was a special concert for them.

In 2011, it was announced that Victoria would continue working during her pregnancy. In 2012, she took maternity leave just before her daughter was born. Daniel said he would take paternity leave and switch roles with Victoria when their daughter started preschool.

Victoria and Daniel have two children:

  • Princess Estelle Silvia Ewa Mary, Duchess of Östergötland (born 23 February 2012).
  • Prince Oscar Carl Olof, Duke of Skåne (born 2 March 2016).

Health Challenges

Victoria has dyslexia, which means she sometimes has difficulty with reading and writing, just like her father and brother.

In 1997, it was confirmed that Victoria had an eating disorder. She moved to the United States to get professional help and studied at Yale University. In an interview in 1998, she thanked the media for giving her privacy during her recovery.

In 1999, Victoria said she had recovered. She talked about how difficult the illness was for her and her family. In a book in 2002, Victoria shared more about her experience, saying she felt like she was losing control and that the illness was very hard. She said she is now well and hopes her experience can help others.

Victoria also has prosopagnosia, which makes it hard for her to recognize faces. In 2008, she said this was a "big drawback" for her role as the future queen.

Public Duties

In Sweden

Victoria officially became an adult on 14 July 1995, when she turned 18. From that day, she could act as the Head of State when the King is not in the country. She gave her first public speech, promising to be loyal to her father and to follow Sweden's laws.

Crownprincess Victoria of Sweden Skultuna 2007
Crown Princess Victoria at Skultuna Messingsbruk

In October 2004, Crown Princess Victoria got her own royal staff to help coordinate her official duties.

As the future queen, Victoria works hard for the Swedish Royal Family. She attends important meetings with government ministers and the King. She also steps in as a temporary leader when the King is away.

When Magdalena Andersson became Sweden's first female prime minister in 2021, Victoria said it was "about time" and that Andersson would be an "important symbol."

Around the World

Victoria's first big official trip on her own was to Japan in 2001. She promoted Swedish tourism, design, music, food, and environmental efforts. That same year, she also visited the United States to celebrate the Nobel Prize centenary.

She has made official visits to many countries, including the United States, Spain, Uganda, Ethiopia, Kosovo, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Hungary, Australia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, China, Brazil, Peru, and Colombia. These visits often involve promoting Sweden, supporting aid work, or learning about different cultures.

In 2024, when Sweden joined NATO, the Crown Princess attended Sweden's flag-raising ceremony at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels.

Charity and Causes

Helping Others

Victoria has been a patron of Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital since 1998. She also supports Act Church of Sweden, which helps with international development and humanitarian work.

The Crown Princess Victoria's Fund

Kronprinsessan Victoria i Sundsvall 20060606
Crown Princess Victoria on the National Day of Sweden, 2006

The Crown Princess Victoria's Fund was started in 1997. It is part of Radiohjälpen, a fundraising group for Swedish TV and radio. The fund helps children and young people with disabilities or long-term illnesses enjoy fun activities.

The fund gets money from public donations and companies. For example, bakeries in Sweden have a "princess cake week" where part of the money from cakes sold goes to the fund. Victoria often visits projects that the fund has supported.

Caring for the Environment

Victoria has been very interested in the environment and climate change for many years. She has studied climate change and polar science. In 2015, she joined the Global Climate March.

In January 2016, the UN Secretary General chose Victoria to be one of 16 ambassadors for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) for Agenda 2030.

In June 2023, she visited Svalbard on an icebreaker to see how climate change is affecting the area. In October 2023, Victoria became a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador. In March 2024, she visited Bangladesh in this role, meeting farmers affected by climate change and learning about ways to help women who are vulnerable to climate issues.

In April 2025, Victoria attended a meeting of SeaBOS, a group that works to make seafood practices more sustainable.

Promoting Health and Sports

Victoria and Daniel started "Generation Pep" in 2010. This group helps fight against social exclusion and encourages good health among children and young people in Sweden. It gives awards to schools that promote physical activity.

She is also on the board of the International Paralympic Committee, which supports sports for people with disabilities.

Supporting LGBTQ+ Rights

In 2013, Victoria became the first member of the Swedish royal family to speak out about LGBTQ+ rights. She surprised everyone by appearing at the Gaygalan Awards to give an award to Jonas Gardell for his TV series about the 1980s AIDS crisis.

In 2020, Victoria and Daniel visited the national office of RFSL, an LGBTQ+ organization in Sweden. This was the first time a Swedish royal family member visited such an organization. Later that year, she opened Stockholm Pride, which was held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, she received an award for her support of the LGBTQ+ community.

Titles and Honours

Titles

  • 14 July 1977 – 31 December 1979: Her Royal Highness Princess Victoria of Sweden
  • 1 January 1980 – 9 January 1980: Her Royal Highness The Crown Princess of Sweden
  • 9 January 1980 – present: Her Royal Highness The Crown Princess of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland

Honours

From Sweden

  • Member and Commander of the Royal Order of the Seraphim
  • Member of the Royal Family Decoration of King Carl XVI Gustaf (14 July 1995)
  • Recipient of the King Carl XVI Gustaf's Jubilee Commemorative Medal IV (15 September 2023)
  • Recipient of the King Carl XVI Gustaf's Jubilee Commemorative Medal III (30 April 2016)
  • Recipient of the King Carl XVI Gustaf's Jubilee Commemorative Medal II (23 August 2013)
  • Recipient of the King Carl XVI Gustaf's Jubilee Commemorative Medal (30 April 1996)
  • Swedish National Defence College Commemorative Medal (9 January 2008)
  • Swedish Soldiers Homes Association Medal in Gold no 1 (May 2021)

From Other Countries

Military Ranks

  • Sweden 19 August 2024 – 12 March 2025: Cadet
  • Sweden 12 March 2025: Second Lieutenant

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Victoria de Suecia para niños

  • List of current heirs apparent
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