The 47-year-old Princess Victoria is another European royal who has benefitted from the modernization of primogeniture. In fact, she was second-in-line to the Swedish throne at birth, and leapfrogged over her younger brother, Prince Carl Philip, upon the change in the constitution. It caused something of a controversy at the time, as her father, King Carl XVI Gustaf, objected to the change—not because he didn’t want women to succeed, but because of his sympathy towards his son, who was suddenly stripped of his Crown Prince status.
In Sweden, the monarch has even less of a role in public life than in the U.K., and as such, King Carl XVI Gustaf has largely kept out of the spotlight. However, similar to other royals of her generation, Victoria has been more candid about her personal life, and was open about her struggles with anorexia in the 1990s. Speaking about her experience in 2002, she said: “I, Victoria, didn’t exist. It felt like everything in my life and around me was controlled by others. The one thing I could control was the food I put in me.”
Much like Prince Harry, she leaped to the defense of her now-husband, personal trainer Daniel Westering, when the couple’s early relationship came under close scrutiny. Commentary in the Swedish press questioned the appropriateness of their match, something which Victoria spoke out against.
Princess Victoria’s 12-year-old daughter, Princess Estelle, is next in line to the throne after her mother. She has similarly benefitted from the change in the law, as she has a younger brother, Prince Oscar.
Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway
Photo: Getty Images
