Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland

Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland (born Olof Daniel Westling; born 15 September 1973) is a member of the Swedish royal family by marriage to Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, making him the presumptive consort of Sweden. Prior to his marriage to the heir apparent to the Swedish throne, he was a personal trainer and gym owner and ran a company called Balance Training with three gyms in central Stockholm.

Early life and education Olof Daniel Westling was born on 15 September 1973 to Olle Westling and Ewa (née Westring) at Örebro Hospital, coincidentally the same day that Carl XVI Gustaf's reign began. His mother and father worked for the postal service and social services, respectively. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to a suburb of Falun, and then again in 1978 to Ockelbo. He has an older sister, Anna. Most of his ancestors were farmers in the province of Hälsingland. Daniel was christened at Almby Church in January 1974. His father has Forest Finnish ancestry.

He graduated from Perslundaskolan, and also played hockey at the junior and A-team level. After completing his education, he worked as a care assistant in a nursing home. He completed 15 months of military service as part of national conscription in the Swedish Army at Hälsinge Regiment in Gävle. He was honorably discharged as a second lieutenant. Daniel then worked at an after-school center for children with special needs for about a year. that Westling was to step down as CEO and member of the Board of Directors of the Balance company, although he would continue to be an equity partner. It was expected that the same procedure would be followed with his involvements in other companies before he became prince.

Personal life

Relationship with Crown Princess Victoria In 2001, Westling met Crown Princess Victoria when he became her personal trainer. In May 2002 Expressen reported that they were dating. As the relationship progressed, the press noted that he did not appear comfortable with public attention. In July 2002, Daniel and Victoria were pictured kissing for the first time at a party. On 1 July 2008, he moved into a one-bedroom rental apartment in the Pagebyggnaden building on the grounds of Drottningholm Palace. The move was confirmed by the Royal Court.

Marriage and children Daniel with his wife and daughter arriving at the wedding of his sister-in-law Madeleine, 2013.

On 24 February 2009, Daniel and Crown Princess Victoria received the required consent of King Carl XVI Gustaf and the Government of Sweden for marriage. Such permission is necessary according to the terms of the Swedish Act of Succession.

The wedding took place at the Stockholm Cathedral on 19 June 2010, the 34th anniversary of her parents' wedding. After the wedding, Daniel and Victoria moved into the Haga Palace in Stockholm, Sweden. On 26 September 2010, Daniel went on his first tour with Victoria, visiting France in connection with the Bernadotte anniversary.

On 17 August 2011, the Swedish royal court announced that Daniel and Victoria were expecting their first child in March 2012. She gave birth to a girl on 23 February 2012, Princess Estelle, Duchess of Östergötland. Daniel took his paternity leave and switched parental roles with Victoria when Estelle began preschool. Their second child, Prince Oscar, Duke of Skåne, was born on 2 March 2016.

Health Daniel has a congenital, non-hereditary kidney disease, which was discovered in connection with an accident at age 16. The condition became more severe around 2008–2009, and he underwent dialysis while his parents were tested as potential donors. Three months after his engagement, on 29 May 2009, Westling underwent a kidney transplant at Karolinska University Hospital. His father was the donor and the operation was a success. Victoria could not be present during the operation as she was on a state visit to Greenland at the time. He has since discussed his experience with the press and advocated for organ donation.

Charity work Patronages Daniel is a patron in the following organizations: A Swedish Classic, The Healthy Generation Foundation, International Society of Nephrology, More Organ Donation.

Sport Daniel is a keen sportsman. He has attended the Ryder Cup and also plays golf himself; as of October 2023 had a handicap of 4.4. He also enjoys football and ice hockey, and supports AIK Fotboll and AIK Hockey, respectively.

Daniel invented Prince Daniel's Race and Sports Day, which are arranged each year to encourage more young people to get exercise and to take an interest in sport. The game is in association with the Swedish Sports Confederation.

Daniel and Victoria established a foundation to mark the occasion of their marriage in 2010. The focus of the foundation is to combat exclusion and promote good health among children and young people in Sweden. Schools can also earn a certification for creating initiatives to increase movement and sport participation amongst its students. In association with the organization, Daniel has visited schools in Sweden and Finland.

In 2022, the Karolinska Institute conferred him with an honorary doctorate for his public health advocacy.

Health and medicine He is an honorary chairman of the board of the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation and has given his name to Prince Daniel's Grant for Promising Young Researchers. Ulrika Eleonora abdicated so her consort Frederick could be king. In Daniel's case, the Swedes were treading on new ground.

The Swedish Royal Court announced that Daniel would become "Prince Daniel" and "Duke of Västergötland",

Since his marriage, Daniel has been styled as "His Royal Highness Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland". He added the surname of the Swedish royal family, Bernadotte, making his full legal name Olof Daniel Westling Bernadotte. When referring to both him and his wife, they are called the Crown Princess Couple .

Honours

National honours

50px Recipient of the Ruby Jubilee Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf (15 September 2013). 50px Recipient of the 70th Birthday Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf (30 April 2016). 50px Recipient of the Golden Jubilee Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf (15 September 2023).

Foreign honours Grand Cross of the Order of Bernardo O'Higgins Knight of the Order of the Elephant (R.E.; 6 May 2024) Grand Cross of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland Grand Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honour (30 January 2024) Grand Cross 1st class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (7 September 2021) Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown (11 October 2022) Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav Gwanghwa Medal of the Order of Diplomatic Service Merit Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Civil Merit (16 November 2021) Grand Officer of the National Order of Merit

Arms

Daniel's coat of arms is based on the greater coat of arms of Sweden. It features in the first and fourth quarters, the Three Crowns; in the second, the lion of the House of Bjälbo; and in the third, the lion of the arms of Västergötland, representing the titular designation of his and his wife's dukedom. In the centre, on an inescutcheon, is his personal arms (Westling). This Westling escutcheon is based on the arms of Ockelbo. Surrounding the shield is the chain of the Order of the Seraphim, of which he has been a member since his wedding.