Date | 19 June 2010 |
---|---|
Venue | Storkyrkan |
Location | Stockholm, Sweden |
Participants |
The wedding of Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, and Daniel Westling took place on 19 June 2010 in Stockholm Cathedral. [1] It had been described as "Europe's biggest royal wedding since the Prince of Wales married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981". [2] Westling thereby acquired Victoria's ducal title, becoming a Swedish prince and Duke of Västergötland. [3] In time for the wedding, a joint monogram of their initials was created. [4]
Victoria is the eldest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. As the firstborn of the family, she was designated heir apparent in 1980 (SFS 1979:932), ahead of her younger brother. Westling was Victoria's personal trainer at Master Training. In July 2002, Victoria and Westling were pictured kissing for the first time [5] at a birthday party for Caroline Kreuger, a close friend of Victoria's. Westling and Victoria's engagement was announced on 24 February 2009. The wedding was set to take place in Stockholm Cathedral on 19 June 2010, the 34th anniversary of her parents' marriage [3] and a traditional wedding date of the Swedish Royal Family (several past House of Bernadotte family members had married on that date). [6] The chosen year 2010 also marks the 200th year since Jean Baptiste Jules Bernadotte, from whom the Royal House of Sweden descends, became heir presumptive to the Swedish throne. [7]
On 17 September 2009, the cathedral parish of Stockholm announced that there would be a restoration of Stockholm Cathedral during the period January–April 2010, and costing 12.4 million Swedish kronor. [8] The wedding itself cost about 20 million kronor which was paid half by the Swedish Royal Family and half by the Swedish government from tax money. [9] This was criticized by some Swedish citizens [10] but the argument was debunked by official response saying that the wedding will generate equivalent or more revenue from the event. [11] This argument was mostly seen as an excuse to continue the monarchy system, rather than evaluating their present-day relevance. [12]
On 24 November 2009 it was decided that the days between the Swedish national day on 6 June and the wedding date on 19 June would be Love Stockholm 2010 days. [13] With festivities for residents and visitors such as music, art, culture, food, design, and history, the city of Stockholm had hoped for sponsor deals to pay for the arrangements. [14]
On 18 June, the Parliament of Sweden honoured the couple with a gala performance at Stockholm Concert Hall. Performers at the gala included the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Malena Ernman, Helen Sjöholm, and Peter Jöback. The famous Swedish band Roxette was reunited on stage, and they performed their hit song "The Look". [15]
On the morning of the wedding, the Crown of Sweden's Heir Apparent and Prince Wilhelm's Crown were removed from their showcases in the Treasury at the Royal Palace of Stockholm. [16] They were placed on each side of the altar in the cathedral. The crowns are part of a tradition, a crown is used in association with the person the occasion is about. Princess Sofia Albertina's crown is also associated with Victoria as it was used at her christening. [17] Princess Sofia Albertina's crown was later used at the wedding of Prince Carl Phillip.
The wedding service began at 15:30 local time in Stockholm Cathedral, with around 1,100 guests present. [10] The music in the ceremony was headed by Gustaf Sjökvist, court organist and organist for the Cathedral Parish of Stockholm. He was also in charge of the music during the wedding of Victoria's parents in 1976. [18]
The service was conducted by Anders Wejryd, Archbishop of Uppsala. He was assisted by Lars-Göran Lönnermark, Royal Court Chief Chaplain, and Dr Antje Jackelén, Bishop of Lund. The Great Marriage Litany was sung by Åke Bonnier, Dean of the Cathedral and Royal Court Chaplain. [19]
Victoria's white satin dress was by Swedish designer Pär Engsheden and had a five meter long train. [20] She wore Empress Josephine's cameo diadem [21] which her mother, Queen Silvia, and two of her paternal aunts wore when they married.
The first piece of music that was played was written by Karin Rehnqvist especially for the couple as a gift from the Royal Swedish Academy of Music.
Victoria walked down the aisle with her father, who then handed her over to Daniel. The wedding couple then stood in front of the archbishop, who told them about the importance of supporting each other in a marriage. After Victoria and Daniel were pronounced husband and wife, Swedish singers Agnes Carlsson and Björn Skifs finished the ceremony with the song "When You Tell The World You're Mine", written for the couple. [22] Victoria and Daniel walked under crossed swords after stepping out of the cathedral. [23]
The couple wanted the king to lead the crown princess to the altar and there hand her over to the groom. This created a public debate in Sweden, as that would have been contrary to the established customs of the Church of Sweden, where bride and groom walk up to the altar together. Critics among the clergy held that the symbolism in handing over the bride from father to groom reflects reactionary societal norms, as if an unmarried woman is the property of her father and is about to turn into the proprietary ownership of the groom. [24] [25] The Royal Court defended the handing over with the statement that, "the king conveys the heir to the throne and hands her over to a man who has been accepted". [24] In the end a compromise was reached, with the king handing over the crown princess to her groom before they reached the altar.
A carriage procession followed the ceremony, in which the wedding couple was transported through the streets of Stockholm. On their way they passed by twenty musical bands, nineteen of which were military. Victoria and Daniel then proceeded in the royal barge Vasaorden over Stockholm's waters; the same barge that was used by Victoria's parents, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, during their wedding in 1976. [26] 500,000 people are estimated to have gathered to watch the procession, [10] which was nearly seven kilometers long. [26] 18 fighter jets flew across the sky as the barge approached its landing place at the royal palace, where the wedding banquet was later held. [23]
The wedding of Victoria and Daniel was the biggest event that has ever been covered on television in Stockholm, according to Sveriges Television. [18]
Notable guests include: [27] [28]
Swedish Parliament
Party leaders
Group leaders
Committee chairmen and chairwomen
The government
State secretaries
Former speakers
Former prime pinister
Public authorities
County governors
Republican heads of state
Ambassadors to Sweden
Secretary General Karin Mattsson Weijber, Swedish Sports Confederation, and Mr Henric Weijber
The wedding banquet was held on the night of the wedding day in the Hall of State at the Royal Palace of Stockholm, Sweden's finest ceremonial hall. The Hall of State was renovated for the occasion. 98 guests of the nearly 600 invited guests were accommodated in the main table. Pink and white flowers were strewn over the table decorations, which included silver candelabra and silver bowls. [32] On the seats of honour were sitting the wedding couple; their parents King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia and Mr and Mrs Westling; Victoria's godparents Ralf de Toledo Sommerlath, Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld, the Queen of the Netherlands and the King of Norway as well as Count Carl Johan Bernadotte of Wisborg, the King's uncle; Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler, the King's eldest sister; the Queen of Denmark, the King of the Belgians; Tarja Halonen, the President of Finland; and Anders Wejryd, the Archbishop of Uppsala.
The cake was an 11 tiered cake made of organic ingredients. The sides of the cake were decorated with four-leaf clovers, symbolising the crown princely couple and their wedding. Each layer of the cake was topped with several chocolate wafers with the royal couple's monogram in caramel. The top layer had a large version of the crown princely couple's monogram is reproduced in cast caramel. The crown princely couple's wedding cake was a gift from the Swedish Association of Bakers and Confectioners.
Sweden has only practiced absolute cognatic primogeniture since 1980 (SFS 1979:932). [33] This means that Victoria is the first female heir apparent to marry. [34] Westling became the first man of the people to obtain a new title or rank as the spouse of a Swedish princess since the Middle Ages. [35] All previous princes have been born to royal parents of Swedish origin or have been foreign dukes that have married Swedish princesses. [36] As a result, questions arose as to how Westling would be known after the wedding.
The Swedish Royal Court first announced on 20 February 2010 that upon his marriage to Crown Princess Victoria, who is Duchess of Västergötland, Westling would receive the titles of "Prince Daniel" and "Duke of Västergötland". [3] It was further announced in May 2010, by the Swedish Royal Court, that Westling will be granted the style His Royal Highness upon his marriage to Crown Princess Victoria. He will thus be known as Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland. [37] [38] The last part of his title corresponds in form to the style used by other Swedish princes, including Victoria's younger brother Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland, i.e. Prince + Given name + Duke of Swedish Province . The novelty here is that Westling would be using his wife's ducal title, something new for men in Sweden. [39]
Sweden discontinued in the 17th century the grant of provinces as territorial appanages to royal princes which, as dukes thereof, they had governed semi-autonomously. Since then, these provincial dukedoms exist in the royal family only nominally, but each prince or princess traditionally maintains a special public connection to one. [36] The sons of Swedish kings have held the princely title as a rank of nobility (e.g. Fredrik Vilhelm, Prince (Furste) av Hessenstein), as a courtesy title for an ex-dynast (e.g. Prince (Prins) Oscar Bernadotte) and, most often, as a royal dynast (e.g. Prince Bertil of Sweden, Duke of Halland).
Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland is the heir apparent to the Swedish throne, as the eldest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf. If she ascends to the throne as expected, she would be Sweden's fourth queen regnant and the first since 1720. Her inheritance is secured by Sweden's 1979 Act of Succession, the first law in Western Europe to adopt royal absolute primogeniture.
Carl XVI Gustaf is King of Sweden.
Princess Margaret of Connaught was Crown Princess of Sweden as the first wife of the future King Gustaf VI Adolf. She was the elder daughter of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, third son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, and his wife Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia. Known in Sweden as Margareta, her marriage produced five children.
Princess Ingeborg of Denmark, was a Princess of Sweden by marriage to Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland.
Prince Oscar Carl August Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg was a Swedish religious activist, the second son of King Oscar II of Sweden and his consort, Sofia of Nassau. Born as a Prince of Sweden and Norway, he was known as Prince Oscar, Duke of Gotland. However, by marrying contrary to Swedish constitutional requirements, he lost those titles, becoming instead Luxembourgish nobility as Prince Bernadotte and Count of Wisborg.
Count of Wisborg is a title granted by the monarchs of Luxembourg to some men formerly titled as princes of Sweden and their descendants.
Lennart, Prince Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg was a Swedish-German landscaper, filmmaker, photographer and was a grandson of King Gustaf V of Sweden. He was also the eldest great-grandchild of King George I of Greece.
Sigvard Oscar Fredrik, Prince Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg born as, and until 1934 known as, Prince Sigvard of Sweden, Duke of Uppland, was a member of the Swedish Royal Family and a successful industrial designer by profession.
Princess Birgitta of Sweden is a member of the Swedish royal family. She is the second child of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and an elder sister of King Carl XVI Gustaf.
Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler, is a member of the Swedish royal family. She is the eldest child of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and the eldest sister of King Carl XVI Gustaf.
Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was a member of the Swedish royal family and the mother of the current king of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf.
Gullan Marianne, Princess Bernadotte, Countess of Wisborg, also known as Princess Marianne Bernadotte, is a Swedish actress, fashion icon and philanthropist who in 1961 married Sigvard Bernadotte, the second son of Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden. Since the death of Gunnila Bernadotte in 2016, she is the last surviving aunt of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. She is officially included in the Swedish royal family, and on 23 January 2022, she surpassed her late sister-in-law Princess Lilian, Duchess of Halland, as the longest-living member on record of the royal family with the age of 97 years and 192 days.
Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland, is a member of the Swedish royal family by marriage to Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden making Daniel the likely next prince consort of Sweden. Prior to his marriage to the heir apparent to the Swedish throne, he was a personal trainer and gym owner and ran a company called Balance Training with three gyms in central Stockholm.
Estelle Bernadotte, Countess of Wisborg (1928–1973), also known as Estelle Ekstrand, was an American-Swedish countess who was a leading figure in the International Red Cross and Girl Scout movement. She married Count Folke Bernadotte, a Swedish member of a United Nations mediating team. He was assassinated by the extremist Zionist Stern gang while on duty in Israel in September 1948.
The wedding of Princess Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland, and the British-born American financier Christopher O'Neill took place in Stockholm on 8 June 2013.
The wedding of Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland, and Sofia Hellqvist took place on 13 June 2015 at Slottskyrkan, Stockholm.
The wedding of Constantine II, King of the Hellenes, and Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark took place on Friday, 18 September 1964, at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens.
The wedding of Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden, and Silvia Sommerlath took place on Friday, 19 June 1976 at Storkyrkan. Carl XVI Gustaf had been king of Sweden since 1973 and Sommerlath was a German-born translator. The couple had met at the 1972 Summer Olympic Games in Munich and became engaged in 1976.
The Swedish royal family owns a historic collection of jewels – some owned by the Bernadotte family foundation and others by private individuals. They are separate from the state regalia of Sweden which is owned by the Swedish state.
The wedding of Princess Margrethe of Denmark and Henri de Laborde de Monpezat took place on Saturday, 10 June 1967, at the Holmen Church in Copenhagen, Denmark.
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