Facing learning difficulties, bullying, and an eating disorder is no typical storybook
tale of royal life. Here's how Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria got her happily ever after.
When Crown Princess Victoria, whose full name is Victoria Ingrid Alice Désirée, was just two years
old, the Swedish Parliament amended the country's Act of Succession. This simply meant that the
sovereign's eldest child, regardless of gender, would inherit the throne – and forward-thinking
Sweden was the first country to do this. In 1980, the constitutional reform took effect,
and Victoria, the firstborn child of King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia, became formally known
as Crown Princess Victoria, heir apparent to the throne. This also meant that her brother,
Prince Carl Philip, fell behind her – and her children – in the pecking order.
In other words, Victoria will be Sweden's fourth female monarch – and the first since 1720. Though
such titles as "king" and "queen" certainly do have a ring of nobility and gravitas,
in Sweden, the monarch acts as a head of state — a national symbol of pride and
unity as opposed to a political decision-maker. Swedish royals have a significant responsibility,
representing their country on the world stage, a fact that became apparent when
young Victoria began preparing for her role as future queen from an early age.
Even as a young girl, Princess Victoria had difficulty reading and writing. Soon,
her family discovered why – she was diagnosed with dyslexia. People with dyslexia have greater
challenges reading, writing, spelling, and speaking because it is difficult
for them to connect the letters they see to the sounds those letters make. Sadly,
like many children with learning disabilities, Victoria endured her share of bullying at school,
and even though she worked tirelessly with tutors to overcome her dyslexia, she still struggled. In
2002, Victoria spoke at a conference on bullying at the University of Orebro, in Sweden. Kids, she
explained, would make fun of her as she read aloud and stumbled over her words. As she told the BBC:
"I used to think I was stupid and slow [...] For me school was fun, but it
was also very demanding. When one has reading and writing difficulties, it can be tough..."
She also said that she has no problems talking about her learning disability openly,
but she also realizes that she, as a future queen, has received more support than most.
Adding to the challenges she's had to overcome with dyslexia, Crown Princess
Victoria has another developmental disorder she's had to learn to manage: prosopagnosia,
otherwise known as "face blindness," which is the inability to recognize
faces. This includes familiar faces or, in some cases, even one's own. According to Time,
the neurological disorder is incredibly rare: Roughly two percent of the population has it,
and recently Brad Pitt revealed that he, too, suffers from the condition.
"We know each other?"
"I think I saw you yesterday."
"Oh yeah?"
It's certainly difficult to imagine a princess — a person who mingles and interacts with others
regularly — not being able to recognize faces. In 2008, Victoria revealed her
diagnosis to the public. Speaking about her condition to a Swedish magazine, she said:
"I find it very hard to remember names and faces,
and that is a big drawback [...] because obviously I meet…a lot of people."
The word "Princess" brings to mind something between a Disney fairytale and the British royal
family – a woman adored by her constituents, wearing dazzling gowns and jeweled tiaras,
living in lavish castles and keeping a busy, jet-setting, globe-trotting itinerary. Yes,
the life of a Princess can seem undeniably luxurious and exciting, at least to those of us on
the outside. But it's important to remember that even the most glamorous Princess is still human.
Although it's clear that Victoria enjoys being a Princess, it isn't always easy. Although the
life of a Princess may seem perfect on the outside, the pressure of following
traditions and facing public scrutiny can be tough. And sometimes, this pressure and
scrutiny about appearances can even lead to serious psychological issues, such as Anorexia.
In 1996, after graduating from secondary school, Crown Princess Victoria studied French at the
Université Catholique de l'Ouest in Angers France, with plans to study at Sweden's Uppsala University
the following year. However, when the media released photos of her looking terribly thin
and frail, public scrutiny intensified. This led the Royal Court to reveal that Victoria had,
in fact, developed an eating disorder. In 1998, she moved to the U.S. to study
at Yale University while undergoing treatment. Evidently, the pressure of becoming a Queen,
the constant scrutiny, and the lack of privacy became too much for her. In 2002,
Victoria opened up about the subject during an interview with The Art of Living magazine:
"It felt like everything in my life around me
was controlled by others. The one thing I could control was…food."
Since high school, Crown Princess Victoria embarked on educational pursuits that would
prepare her for her future role as queen. After studying political science and history at Yale
University from 1998 to 2000, she continued her extensive training as an intern at the
United Nations in New York City and at her country's embassy in Washington, D.C.
Victoria then worked at the European Union and the Swedish Trade Council, as well as at other
Swedish government offices throughout Europe. In 2003, according to the Irish Examiner, she began a
three-week military basic training program at the Swedish Armed Forces International Center. Asked
by a reporter what she thought of the training, the future queen, in camouflage face paint and
army fatigues, said that the training was tough, but interesting, and that she learned a lot.
"Uh, I did join the army,
but I joined a different army. The one with the condos, and the private rooms?"
A few years later, Victoria enrolled at the Swedish International Development
Cooperation Agency to learn about Sweden's diplomatic and foreign policies. Then,
she continued her studies on international peacekeeping at Uppsala University. During
breaks from her coursework and internships, she traveled extensively, representing Sweden across
the globe. In addition to her native language, she also speaks fluent English, French, and German.
A familiar trope emerges in romantic movies: a serendipitous encounter results in an
unexpected love between two people who, if not for fate, would've never crossed
paths. Occasionally, however, fairytale love stories happen in real life too.
"Crown Princess Victoria, princess of Sweden, princess of my heart."
Not surprisingly, fitness plays an important part in this royal love story. When Princess
Victoria moved back to Sweden after college, she joined an upscale gym,
getting to know the owner, Daniel Westling. According to Vanity Fair magazine, Westling
served as her personal trainer, and the two developed a deep friendship as she recovered
from her eating disorder. Afraid of her parents' reaction, she kept their relationship secret,
knowing Daniel wouldn't be readily accepted since he was not a royal.
Eventually, she came clean, and, although her parents disapproved of the relationship at first,
they eventually embraced Daniel as Sweden's future king. The couple announced their
engagement on June 19, 2010, after their eight-year courtship, reported The Sunday
Times. On the big day, over 500,000 people piled onto Stockholm's streets to watch the royal event.
"Victoria Ingrid Alice Desiree."
Before the wedding, the groom told CNN:
"The queen's main task is to support the king, and in my case, it is to support the crown princess,
in their very important work. If I can do it in the same way the queen does,
I would be more than satisfied."
Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel welcomed Princess Estelle in 2012 and Prince Oscar in 2016,
making the young princess and prince future monarchs, behind her mother. One way in which
Victoria prepared her children for their royal duties included enlisting them in charity work.
As Victoria explained in an interview with the Swedish magazine Svenskdam, she often
discusses her philanthropic endeavors with her children — much like her parents did with her.
The royal parents also bring Estelle and Oscar to charity events with them. In March 2022,
for World Water Day, Victoria had her two children in tow as she met with WaterAid to discuss
solutions for increasing access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene in developing countries.
In 2017, Crown Princess Victoria earned another impressive title:
Godmother of Europe. As of this writing, she has eighteen godchildren. And,
as the affectionate moniker denotes, she has a godchild in nearly every European country
with a monarchy. Some of her royal godchildren include Prince Constantine Alexios of Greece,
Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway, Prince Christian of Denmark, and Princess Eléonore
of Belgium. Three of her godchildren are expected to become kings and queens one day.
Known for her kindness, generosity, and compassion, Princess Victoria is a beloved
royal figure in Europe. She is frequently voted as Sweden's most popular member of the royal family
and, by some accounts, could even be described as one of the most popular royal figures in Europe.
Aside from her work as a U.N. alumni ambassador, Crown Princess Victoria
is involved with many charities. Some of her interests include education,
international peacekeeping, and social justice, particularly creating equitable
opportunities for young people. As a devoted patron of the Gundua Foundation, Victoria,
who has been with the organization since its founding, champions educational development
throughout Kenya. She also helped with the initiative to build primary and secondary
schools in impoverished Kenyan communities where they previously didn't exist.
"The only way to successfully achieve one goal is by working on all of them, together."
Another one of Princess Victoria's passions is getting young people involved in physical
activity. To commemorate their wedding day, she and Prince Daniel launched "The Swedish
Crown Princess Couple's Foundation," aiming to promote good health among young people in
Sweden. One project the couple developed is called "Generation Pep," a nonprofit
that provides coaching for young people on proper nutrition and physical fitness.
One of the many negative consequences the pandemic has had on children worldwide is
that it's made them even more sedentary. Victoria hopes that Generation Pep will be the jumpstart
Sweden's kids need. In November 2021, she and her husband helped organize Pep Forum,
where over 800 experts and businesses participated to find solutions to combat the harmful
effects the COVID-19 pandemic has had on young people's physical health.
Crown Princess Victoria is certainly making a place for herself in the style icon canon! From
wowing us with her gorgeous designer gowns to making us smile with her casual, sporty looks,
this Nordic princess proves she can transition seamlessly between elegant fairytale princess
and fashionable girl next door. Like many royal celebrities, Victoria has her go-to designers for
special occasions. One of her most memorable looks came from Lebanese designer Elie Saab:
a stunning blush-hued, off-the-shoulder gown she wore to the gala performance the night before
her wedding. And it's impossible not to marvel at her ivory satin wedding dress by Swedish designer
Pär Engsheden, paired with her mother's jeweled crown and five-meter-long wedding dress train.
What makes Victoria's style even more awe-inspiring is that she supports
sustainable fashion. She's not afraid to step out in the same dresses her mother
once wore in public —though a hand-me-down from a queen isn't quite the same as our receiving
an old sweater from a relative — and she's even making waves in the fashion world. She
recently joined Sustainability Fashion Hub talks, as part of Stockholm's fashion week,
where she met with founders of different fashion brands to discuss innovative
business models with the goal of prolonging the lifespan of clothing and reducing waste.
Since Crown Princess Victoria was a child, she has worked toward one goal: to be the leader
Sweden needs. But beyond her role as monarch, Victoria has also stood as a symbol of resilience,
overcoming dyslexia, prosopagnosia, and anorexia. Even more important, she hasn't been ashamed to
speak about her struggles publicly, in hopes that her story would inspire others. Devoted
to a sense of duty, the future queen has traveled the world promoting Swedish culture and values,
forging connections with other countries to find solutions to global problems. So it comes as no
surprise that the Swedish Women's Educational Association, a nonprofit that provides support
for Swedish women, nominated Princess Victoria for its 2021 Woman of the Year Award. Her aunt,
Princess Christina, who also serves as the organization's honorary president, presented
her with the award.The honor came exactly 20 years since Victoria's mother won the award.
Barbro Osher, one of the members who nominated Princess Victoria, said in a statement,
"The Crown Princess stands for everything that the Swedish Women's Educational Association identifies
with a contemporary, modern Sweden with openness, inclusion, environmental thinking and care."
Though the work of a Queen can seem overwhelming,
one thing is crystal clear: Crown Princess Victoria is up for the task.