by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2014
Prince Daniel of Sweden, Duke of Västergötland; Credit – Wikipedia
Olof Daniel Westling was born at Örebro University Hospital in Örebro, Sweden on September 15, 1973, the same day his future father-in-law King Carl XVI Gustaf became King of Sweden. He is the youngest of two children of Olle Gunnar Westling, a social services manager, and Anna Ewa Kristina Westring, a post office employee. Daniel has one older sister, Anna Westling Söderström.
Daniel at his christening; Photo: Swedish Royal Court
Daniel grew up in Ockelbo, Sweden, and attended Rabo Primary School and Pers Lunda School there. He then attended Hammar Upper Secondary School in Sandviken, Sweden, and graduated in 1991. Daniel then served in the Swedish Army as part of the national conscription in the Hälsingland Regiment in Gävle, Sweden.
In 1994, Daniel moved to Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, to study at the Lillsved Sports Folk High School. He studied in the youth recreation leader program from 1994-1996. While studying and for a period of time after graduating, Daniel worked as a personal fitness trainer at a nearby gym.
Daniel started his own company in 1997 and worked as a consultant in the fitness industry. He then went on to run his own gym, Master Training, together with his business partner Benny Johansson. Master Training’s keyword was “discretion” because Daniel and his business partner created a place where wealthy, well-known people could work out in privacy. Many of Stockholm’s more prominent businessmen, politicians, and artists started coming, as did many close to Crown Princess Victoria, including her sister Princess Madeleine and her friend Caroline Kreuger. When the Crown Princess herself began working out there, Daniel became her personal trainer. The couple certainly had many opportunities to chat, while working out a training program for Victoria. So when their professional relationship developed into something more personal, first friendship and then love, their closest friends were probably not too surprised.
Daniel and Victoria working out; Photo source: Expressen
It was at a friend’s birthday party in 2002 that photographers caught a kiss between the two, fueling the interest in Victoria and Daniel’s personal life. Despite some public opinion against Daniel as a potential spouse for the princess due to his “common” background, Victoria made it clear that one’s background was not the deciding factor in marriage, but rather the happiness shared by the couple. Speculation increased in July 2008 when Daniel moved to a rental apartment in a wing of Drottningholm Palace. Many believed this was to allow him to be groomed for the role of consort to the Crown Princess. The engagement of Crown Princess Victoria to Mr. Daniel Westling was announced by the Royal Palace on February 24, 2009. The announcement indicated that after the wedding Daniel Westling would be known as Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland, duke being the male counterpart of Victoria’s title Duchess of Västergötland. Another announcement in May 2010 said that Westling would be granted the style His Royal Highness upon marriage.
The wedding was held at Stockholm Cathedral also known as Storkyrkan on June 19, 2010. One Canadian reporter said it was “Europe’s biggest royal wedding since the Prince of Wales married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981.” There were 1,200 invited guests and 500,000 people lined Stockholm’s streets. It was the biggest event that has ever been covered on television in Stockholm, according to Sveriges Television, the Swedish national public TV broadcaster.
Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel greeting people in the streets of Stockholm; Photo Credit – Wikipedia
Victoria and Daniel have a daughter and a son. Their daughter Estelle is second in line to the Swedish throne after her mother and remained in that position after the birth of her brother.
- Princess Estelle, Duchess of Östergötland (born February 23, 2012)
- Prince Oscar, Duke of Skåne (born March 2, 2016)
Crown Princess Victoria and her family, 2021; Photo: Linda Broström King. Hovstaterna / Linda Broström, The Royal Court of Sweden
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