Swedish Royal Wedding

Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland, married Daniel Westerling on Saturday in the most lavish royal celebration Sweden has seen since the wedding of the bride's parents thirty-four years earlier.

On the eve of the wedding, a concert was given at the Stockholm Concert Hall, featuring performances from a number of Swedish artists including the pop band Roxette.

The wedding on Saturday was attended by a number of royals, man
y of whom are relatives of the Swedish royal family. The monarchs of Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Jordan, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Monaco attended with their families, along with the former monarchs of Bulgaria and Greece.

Upon marrying Victoria, Daniel Westerling took the title His Royal Highness Prince Daniel of Sweden, Duke of Västergötland. There was slight controversy over the bride's decision to be escorted down the aisle by her father. The Church of Sweden has discouraged this practice for many years now, claiming it sexist, and prefers that the bride and groom walk down the aisle together. However, the palace defended the bride's decision and insisted the practice was meant to be symbolic of the monarch passing his blessing onto his heir. Prince Carl Philip, the crown princess' younger brother, acted as best man.

The wedding was celebrated on the same day as the nuptials of the bride's parents, King Gustav XVI Adolf and Queen Silvia. The year 2010 also marks the 200th anniversary of the accession of the Bernadotte dynasty.



Princess Madeleine and Prince Carl Philip, younger siblings of Crown Princess Victoria, arrive at the pre-wedding concert.



The King and Queen of Sweden



The King and Queen of Norway



The Queen and Prince Consort of Denmark



The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Denmark



The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Norway



Members of the deposed Greek royal family: Princess Alexia, her husband Carlos Morales, Prince Philippos, Prince Nikolaos and his fiance Tatiana Blatnik, and Queen Anne-Marie and King Constantine.




Princess Margarita, eldest daughter of former King Michael of Romania, with her husband Radu.



The Crown Prince of Japan



Former King Simeon of Bulgaria and his wife, Margarita



Former Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia and his wife arrive behind the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg.



Felipe, Prince of Asturias, heir to the Spanish throne, and his wife Letizia.

Comments