Feb 24 saw the announcement of the engagement between the crown princess of Sweden
Victoria 31 eldest daughter of king Carl Gustaf and queen Silvia and Daniel Westling 35.
The couple met 8 years ago at a Gym in Stockholm where Daniel Westling worked as a fitness instructor (today he owns a succesful Gym and Fitness center. They have been a couple for about 7 years.
Daniel Westling comes from an ordinary middle class family in the small town of Ockelbo in the province of Gästrikland. Ockelbo is a small town with just 3000 inhabitants. The fact that Daniel Westling comes from neither a royal a noble family or a traditional upper class enviroment may have contributed a bit to the fact that king Carl Gustaf may have been hesitant to approve of him.
Traditionally members of the royal family had to marry members of other royal families or lose the right to inherit the throne and their royal titles(and be more or less kicked out of the family). Traditionally royal marriages were also arranged and sometimes the couple met for the first time on the wedding day or shortly before.
Two of the kings uncles and 2 other princes lost their right to the throne and was kicked out of the family in the 1930thies and 1940thies by the kings grandfather king Gustaf II Adolf when they married non royal ladies. However king Carl Gustaf married our present queen Silvia Sommerlath in 1976. Queen Silvia comes from a upper middle class family in Germany.
The wedding of Crown princess Victoria and Daniel Westling is planned for early summer 2010.
After the wedding Danel Westling will be styled "Prince Daniel duke of Västergötland".
the royal family has also taken the somewhat unusual step of announcing the engagement on Youtube.
Do you think the princess made a good decision or should she have given up Daniel and married someone of higher birth and social standing or resigned her right to the throne or should Sweden become a republic !!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
New Royal engagement in Sweden
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3 comments:
Wow Anna-Karin, that's a tough call for me. I don't live in Sweden, but in the U.S., where we can all marry anyone we want,[and suffer the consequences of it.] I suppose it depends a lot on how much the people of Sweden will embrace this particular tradition. What other changes will occur as a result of Sweden becoming a Republic? We across the pond sort of admire Sweden as a lovely & highly civilized country. I don't think I would want to insist on a change that would disturb that model. But a good country must serve its people and evolve in ways that promote well-being for all, [I would hope.]~Christine.
Well I think Sweden will stay a monarchy for the foseable future. Since the Royal family is very popular
This is wonderful posting. Thank you.
Bathmate
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