Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Victoria |
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| Crown Princess of Sweden Duchess of Västergötland |
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Victoria in 2023
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| Born | 14 July 1977 Solna, Sweden |
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| Spouse |
Daniel Westling
(m. 2010) |
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| House | Bernadotte | ||||
| Father | Carl XVI Gustaf | ||||
| Mother | Silvia Sommerlath | ||||
| Religion | Church of Sweden | ||||
| Education | Uppsala University (BA) | ||||
| Signature | |||||
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| Swedish Royal Family |
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HRH Princess Birgitta Extended royal family
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Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland (born 14 July 1977) is the heir apparent to the Swedish throne. This means she is next in line to become the Queen of Sweden. She is the oldest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf. If she becomes queen, she will be the fourth queen to rule Sweden on her own. The law that makes her the heir is called the 1980 Swedish Act of Succession. 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.
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Early Life of Crown Princess Victoria
Victoria was born on 14 July 1977 in Solna, Sweden. She is the first child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. She belongs to the House of Bernadotte, which is the royal family of Sweden. Even though she was born a princess, she became the Crown Princess in 1979. This happened before her younger brother, Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland, was made Crown Prince. Her role as first in line to the throne officially began on 1 January 1980. This was when the law changed to allow the oldest child to inherit the throne, regardless of gender.
Her full name is Victoria Ingrid Alice Désirée. Each part of her name honors different family members. Her first name, Victoria, comes from her great-great-grandmother, who was also a queen of Sweden. Her other names honor her great-aunt Ingrid, her grandmother Alice, her ancestor Désirée, and her aunt Désirée.
She was baptized on 27 September 1977. Her godparents included Crown Prince Harald of Norway (who later became king) and Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands (who later became queen).
Victoria's Education and Learning
Victoria studied in France for a year from 1996 to 1997. After that, she learned about how the Swedish Parliament (called the Riksdag) works. From 1998 to 2000, Victoria lived in the United States. There, she studied different subjects at Yale University.
In 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 special program for future diplomats. This program taught her about Sweden's foreign policy and how it works with other countries. In June 2009, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Uppsala University.
Victoria can speak Swedish, English, French, and German. In August 2024, she started officer training at the Swedish Defence University. This training will help her learn about military strategy. It will also prepare her for her future role as head of state, which includes representing the Armed Forces.
How Victoria Became Crown Princess
Victoria became crown princess on 1 January 1980. This was due to a change in the Act of Succession law. This new law brought in "absolute primogeniture." This means the oldest child of the monarch inherits the throne, no matter if they are a boy or a girl. Before this change, her younger brother, Carl Philip, was the heir.
King Carl XVI Gustaf did not agree with the change at first. He was not against women inheriting the throne. But he was upset that his son lost the title of Crown Prince, which he had held since birth. When Victoria became the heir, she also received the title Duchess of Västergötland. This is a historical province in Sweden. Her brother Carl Philip is now fourth in line to the throne, after Victoria and her two children.
Victoria's Public Role
Victoria officially became an adult on 14 July 1995, when she turned 18. From that day on, she could act as the Head of State when the King is not in Sweden. She gave her first public speech on this day. She promised to be loyal to her father, the King, and to follow Sweden's laws.
As the heir to the throne, Victoria works for the Swedish Royal Family. She has many official duties. She attends meetings with government ministers and the King. She also steps in as a temporary regent when the King is away. This means she takes on the King's duties for a short time.
Victoria has traveled a lot to represent Sweden. Her first big official trip was to Japan in 2001. There, she promoted Swedish tourism, design, and environmental efforts. That same year, she also visited the West Coast of the United States. She took part in celebrations for the Nobel Prize.
In 2002, she visited the United States, Spain, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Kosovo. In 2003, she went to Egypt and the United States. In 2004, she visited Saudi Arabia and Hungary.
In October 2004, Crown Princess Victoria got her own special office. This office helps to plan and manage her official events. In January 2005, Victoria made a long visit to Australia. She promoted Swedish businesses there. In April, she visited Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to see aid work after a tsunami. She also visited Japan again in April 2005. In June 2005, Victoria traveled to Turkey. This was the first official royal visit from Sweden to Turkey since 1934. In September 2005, she visited China.
In March 2006, Victoria visited Brazil. She saw projects supported by the World Childhood Foundation. In December, she visited Paris. She attended events with Swedish organizations there. She also visited the OECD headquarters.
Victoria is also a member of the board for the International Paralympic Committee. In 2016, she was chosen by the UN Secretary General to help promote the Sustainable Development Goals. She works to promote the UN's goals for a better future. She mainly focuses on issues about water and health.
When Magdalena Andersson became Sweden's first female prime minister in 2021, Victoria said it was "about time." She also said Andersson would be an "important symbol." When Sweden joined NATO in 2024, Victoria attended the flag-raising ceremony in Brussels.
The Crown Princess Victoria's Fund
The Crown Princess Victoria's Fund was started in 1997. It is part of Radiohjälpen, which is a fundraising group. The fund helps children and young people who have disabilities or long-term illnesses. It supports them in doing fun activities and hobbies.
The fund gets money from people who donate. Big companies also help. For example, some bakeries sell special "princess cakes" and give part of the money to the fund. People can also buy special cards that help the fund. Every year, Victoria visits some of the clubs or projects that have received money from the fund. These visits are usually kept private.
Victoria's Personal Life
Victoria's first boyfriend was Daniel Collert. They knew each other from school and became friends before they started dating in the mid-1990s. When Victoria moved to the United States in 1998, Collert moved there too. Their relationship ended in 2001.
In May 2002, news came out that Victoria had a new boyfriend. He was her personal trainer, Daniel Westling. At first, he did not like being in the public eye. In July 2002, they were seen together at a birthday party. Victoria later spoke about the unfair things written about Westling. She said that happiness is important and that two people need to be comfortable with each other to do a good job.
Engagement and Marriage
People often wondered when Victoria would get engaged. On 24 February 2009, it was confirmed that Victoria would marry Daniel Westling. The King and the Prime Minister gave their permission. This is needed for a royal marriage in Sweden. The wedding was set for 19 June 2010, in Stockholm Cathedral. This was the same day her parents got married 34 years earlier. Her engagement ring has a beautiful diamond on white gold.
The wedding was a big event with royalty and ambassadors from many countries. After the ceremony, Victoria and Daniel rode through Stockholm in a coach. Then they took an old royal boat to the palace for the wedding party. The night before the wedding, there was a concert for them.
Victoria and Daniel have two children:
- Princess Estelle, Duchess of Östergötland (born 23 February 2012)
- Prince Oscar, Duke of Skåne (born 2 March 2016)
Health Challenges
Victoria has dyslexia, which means she sometimes has difficulty with reading and writing. Her father, King Carl XVI Gustaf, and her brother, Prince Carl Philip, also have dyslexia.
In the late 1990s, Victoria faced some health challenges. She received professional help and support for these challenges. She moved to the United States to focus on her recovery and studies. In 1999, she shared that it was a very difficult time, but she was feeling well. She said that she learned a lot from her experience and hoped to help others.
Victoria also has prosopagnosia. This is a condition that makes it hard to recognize familiar faces. In an interview, she said it was a "big drawback" for her role as heir to the throne.
Victoria's Royal Titles and Honors
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
Honors
Victoria has received many honors from Sweden and other countries. These honors are special awards that recognize her service and role. One of her main Swedish honors is being a Member and Commander of the Royal Order of the Seraphim. She also has special medals from her father, King Carl XVI Gustaf, to mark important anniversaries of his reign.
From other countries, she has received many high honors. These include awards from Denmark, Norway, Japan, and Spain, among others. These awards show the good relationships Sweden has with these nations.
Images for kids
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Victoria in 2023
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Victoria's signature
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Crown Princess Victoria at Skultuna Messingsbruk with the managing director Viktor Blomqvist
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Crown Princess Victoria on the National Day of Sweden, 2006
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Victoria sailing
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The Crown Princess and Prince Daniel on their wedding day
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Victoria's coat of arms
In Spanish: Victoria de Suecia para niños
