Crown Princess Victoria and her fiancé, Daniel Westling. Photo by Leif R Jansson/Scanpix courtesy of www.imagebank.sweden.se
Sweden’s royal wedding comes with a huge popular fest that is expected to give at least the economy of Stockholm a lift. When Crown Princess Victoria weds the commoner Daniel Westling on Saturday, June 19, it is said to be not only the biggest party in Europe, but the first wedding of a female successor to the Swedish throne. Daniel Westling will become His Royal Highness Prince Daniel, Duke of Vastergotland, and landscape in Sweden’s southwest.
Stockholm has been preparing for an invasion of tourists that should boost the city’s economy, and Sweden hopes to translate the wedding’s attention around the world to strengthening the country’s already strong nation brand. Having a monarchy in a country often associated with radical social reforms, and many decades of socialist government (but currently under a center-right government) could sound like a paradox, but might also be seen as a typical Swedish compromise. The social democrats allowed the monarchy to remain, but made it purely symbolic. The Swedish King has no political power, and is required to stay out of politics, but his personal popularity and strong interest in science and research does have an indirect political impact.
Saturday’s wedding ceremony is the culmination of several days of celebrations, including a lunch at Stockholm City Hall, a gala performance at Stockholm Concert Hall, and a private dinner at the Drottningholm Palace. The bridal couple will travel in a cortège through Stockholm’s city after the ceremony, and then embark on a journey across the Stockholm Bayon using the Royal Barge “Vasaorden.”
Below is a CNN report about the royal wedding’s business impact on Stockholm City by the Swedish journalist Per Nyberg.
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