Sweden celebrates as princess marries her personal trainer in biggest royal wedding for decades

By Jo Macfarlane

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, heir to the country's throne, married her former personal trainer, the gym owner Daniel Westling at Stockholm Cathedral


Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, heir to the country's throne, married her former personal trainer, the gym owner Daniel Westling today at Stockholm Cathedral.


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About 250,000 people lined the streets of Stockholm as the country celebrated its ‘fairytale royal wedding’.

The couple exchanged vows in front of nearly 1,000 royals and dignitaries from across the world while four ministers conducted the service.


About 250,000 people lined the streets of Stockholm as the country celebrated its fairytale royal wedding


The princess, 32, who wore an ivory silk, off-the-shoulder gown designed for her by Par Engsheden, met Westling, 36, eight years ago when she joined his Stockholm gym.

When the couple’s relationship became public, he was mocked as an outsider with a country accent.

Victoria is also 196th in line to the British throne through her father, a third cousin of the Queen. Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, and his wife Sophie, wearing a grey silk dress with cape, represented the British Royal Family. They were among a host of European royals there.


A regal affair: (From left to right) Queen Rania of Jordan, the Duchess of Wessex and Princess Laurentien of Holland all attended Princess Victoria's special day in their finest



Wedding party: There were ten flower girls and pageboys who wore simple white dresses and sailor suits


The newly-married couple exchanged vows on the same date as Victoria’s father King Carl XVI Gustaf married Queen Silvia 34 years ago.

After the wedding ceremony, Victoria and Daniel headed a grand procession through central Stockholm before attending a lavish banquet thrown by the king and queen.

‘This is Sweden’s 15 minutes in the limelight,’ said Herman Lindqvist, a journalist who is
a royal watcher.


The bridal couple shares the June 19 wedding date with Princess Victoria's parents, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, who married on 19 June 1976 in the same cathedral


The happy couple leave the cathedral after their wedding ceremony today. The bride wore a dress designed by Par Engsheden with a 5-metre train


Sealed with a kiss: Guard of honour, the couple leave the cathedral


The bride's five-metre train, attached at the waist of her dress, trailed out from behind and perfectly matched the shape of the princess' veil, which was held in place by the same tiara Queen Silvia wore to her wedding in 1976.

The princess was escorted up the aisle by her proud father, King Carl Gustav VI, and was then met by her long-term boyfriend – now titled Prince Daniel, Duke of Vastergotland – who kissed his bride on the cheek while she responded by kissing his hand.

The happy couple were seen shedding a tear with the emotion of the ceremony but the only sign of nerves was when they slightly fumbled the exchange of the rings.


The happy couple acknowledge the crowds from the Royal Palace after their wedding in Storkyrkan Church



Crown Princess Victoria is led into the church by her father King Carl Gustaf of Sweden


The swedish capital has been celebrating the nuptials under the banner 'Love Stockholm'


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.'


The newly-weds prepare to board the Royal Barge 'Vasaorden' during the cortege through central Stockholm


Aboard the 'Vasaorden': Victoria and Daniel sailed downstream to the royal palace for a private reception


Eighteen Gripen fighter jets flew overhead in formation as the procession ended.

While the majority of Swedes support the monarchy, the estimated 20 million kronor (£1.75 million) 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 said 'I do' in the afternoon ceremony, the gym owner became Duke of Vastergotland and a prince for life - endowed with his own coat of arms and monogram.


The happy couple dance the bridal waltz during the celebrations at the Royal Palace in Stockholm. The couple had been together for eight years before deciding to get married


Surrounded by liveried servants the wedding guests sit for the wedding banquet


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 converged 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 were attending, while the other Nordics, Finland and Iceland, were sending their presidents.



source: dailymail