Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden (happy birthday)

Royal revellers brave birthday downpour

“The weather is terrible, but it is fantastic that so many are still here, it is heart-warming and touching,” said Victoria.

The Crown Princess was dressed in a navy coloured dress with a pink cardigan while Prince Daniel wore a dark suit. Victoria did the rounds, chatting to her visitors, accepted flowers and shook hands with people.

“I am here to give Victoria a necklace. I think that she and Daniel are so nice,” said 6-year-old Alva to news agency TT's reporter.

The rain is expected to increase in force during the afternoon when the traditional birthday celebrations starts at 1700 hours. The Royal family is expected to arrive around 1830.

This year the gathered crowd will be treated to entertainment by a string of major Swedish artists such as Carola, Jessica Andersson and Andreas Johnsson.

Ice hockey twins Henrik and Daniel Sedin will also be there, to receive the Victoria scholarship from the Princess’ hand after their monumentally successful season in Vancouver.

Since her second birthday in 1979 the popular princess has been feted in style outside Solliden Palace every year.

Last year the crowds had to content themselves with being greeted by her Royal siblings and parents, as Victoria spent her birthday honeymooning in the south Pacific.

Many travel far to catch a glimpse of the Royal family. Gerd and Brigitte Hussack from Munich were excited and happy to be there despite the incessant rain.

“The Crown Princess seems to be a very nice lady,” said Brigitte.
“Wonderful,” agreed Gerd, “ you do know her mother is German?”

Laila Tegnér from Sturefors outside of Linköping celebrates doubly on July 14th every year.

“ I have come here the last 6 years, it is my birthday too so we celebrate each other. I generally get a hug, and I hope I will today too,” said Tegnér, who brought a homemade birdbath as a gift to the princess.

“Either she can use it at home in the Haga palace, or she can give it away to someone else,” she said to TT.

Pictures: Royal wedding fashion

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Prince Daniel of Sweden

Victoria was born on 14 July 1977 in Stockholm, Sweden, and is the eldest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, and belongs to the Royal House of Bernadotte. Born as a Princess of Sweden, she was designated Crown Princess in 1979 (SFS 1979:932) ahead of her younger brother. Her first place in succession formally went into effect on 1 January 1980 with the parliamentary change to the Act of Succession that introduced equal primogeniture. Victoria is currently the only female heir-apparent in the world (though there are several females who are heiresses-apparent of an heir-apparent) and is usually styled HRH The Crown Princess. Through her father, a third cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, Victoria is also in the line of succession to the British and other Commonwealth thrones. She is currently 205th in the line of succession to the British & other Commonwealth thrones. Her younger brother comes ahead of her in the British succession, though, because it is governed by male preference primogeniture, unlike Sweden's.

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria,_Crown_Princess_of_Sweden (wikipedia)

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