Sweden loved up as princess marries gym instructor
Stockholm has been dressed up in flowers, flags and royal portraits for today’s fairytale wedding between Crown Princess Victoria and gym owner Daniel Westling.
The couple will exchange vows in Stockholm Cathedral today – the same date as Victoria’s father King Carl XVI Gustaf wed Queen Silvia 34 years ago – in front of nearly 1,000 royals and dignitaries from across the world.
After the wedding ceremony, the newly married couple will head a grand procession through central Stockholm before boarding the royal barge which will sail them to the palace.
The day will be rounded off with a lavish banquet in the palace, hosted by the king and queen.
It will be the first royal wedding in Europe since 2008, when Denmark’s Prince Joachim wed Marie Cavallier of France.
“This is Sweden’s 15 minutes in the limelight,” said Herman Lindqvist, a journalist and historian who watches the royals. “I think you can feel the expectation and excitement. People think it will be fun.”
Since June 6, Sweden’s national day, the capital has been celebrating under the banner “Love Stockholm 2010” in anticipation of the wedding – the top event on the social calendar.
Lavish flower arrangements, in urns and baskets, adorn the streets and Sweden’s furniture giant Ikea has erected a two-storey tent replica of the princess’ castle.
Stockholmers were preparing to hold private champagne parties and store windows displayed wedding regalia in Sweden’s yellow and blue colours.
“I will celebrate with pink bubbly on the rooftop and watch the procession,” 38-year-old Roger Lejonqvist said. “It’s something of a historic event.”
Even anti-royalty republicans prepared their own celebrations – under an alternative banner: “Love Republic.”
Police said they expected 250,000 people to line the streets along the meandering route of the procession, scheduled to last 30 minutes, with 7,000 police officers, military staff and volunteers on guard at vantage points. Eighteen Gripen fighter jets will fly overhead in formation as the procession ends.
While the majority of Swedes support the monarchy, the estimated 20 million kronor (€2m) wedding price tag has also triggered scepticism.
Last year, 56% of Swedes wanted to retain the monarchy, a drop from 68% in 2003, according to a survey by the SOM Institute at the University of Gothenburg.
The moment Westling says “I do” in the afternoon ceremony, the gym owner becomes Duke of Vastergotland and a prince for life – endowed with his own coat of arms and monogram.
Westling grew up in a middle-class family in the village of Ockelbo in central Sweden. His mother worked as a clerk at the Swedish post office and his father was a manager at a municipal social services centre. Soon, they will rub shoulders with royals and dignitaries worldwide.
Royal families and heads of state in Europe will converge on Stockholm, including Belgium’s King Albert II, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, Prince Albert II of Monaco and the Earl and Countess of Wessex.
Members of royal families from neighbouring Norway and Denmark are attending, while the other Nordics, Finland and Iceland, are sending their presidents.
