This week's exciting news that Sweden's future queen is pregnant with her first child heralds the next chapter in a touching royal love story that fascinated the world. Princess Victoria – who wed Daniel Westling, a businessman who was once her personal trainer and is now styled Prince Daniel a year ago – is expected to give birth in March. And the only thing brighter than the sunshine on Wednesday when the news broke was her beaming smile.
This turned what could have been a rather dry engagement to present the Swede of the Year award in Stockholm into a joyous affair. Her delighted smile was still very much in evidence the following day when Victoria was out on official duty once again – this time accompanied by 37-year-old Daniel. Everyone who greeted the well-liked couple seemed to share their excitement and photographers jostled to get a good picture.Even their closest friends had been kept in the dark. "We're very happy for them. We didn't know a thing", said Peder Dinkelspiel, who attended their sumptuous wedding with his wife Caroline.
Ecstatic Victoria, 34, told reporters that she has "a lot to look forward to".Meanwhile, the proud father-to-be said: "We are very happy and fortunate but there's still half a year left. So we're taking it day by day." The baby will be the first grandchild for the reigning King Carl Gustaf and his wife Queen Silvia and will be second in line to the throne after Victoria. She became the heir apparent in 1980 through a constitutional reform that meant that the throne would be inherited by the sovereign's eldest child without regard to gender.Only last November, the hugely popular monarchy was rocked by scandal when a book appeared alleging that her father King Carl XVI Gustaf participated in wild parties in his youth and had had a number of affairs. Nevertheless, this baby will secure the future and undoubtably allow the royal family to turn the corner.
