Victoria of Sweden teenage health battle brought on by royal pressure

As Sweden celebrates its National Day, how Crown Princess Victoria’s teenage health battle was brought on by the pressure of knowing she would one day be Queen

• In 1997 it was announced that the Swedish heir was struggling with anorexia   
• Swedish princesses have had precedence over younger brothers since 1979

Royal events can take quite a democratic turn in Sweden – as you might expect.

And on today’s Swedish National Day, the Royal Palace in Stockholm was open to the public with free entry.

It fell to Crown Princess Victoria and her family – dressed in national costume – to do the honour and at 10am they opened the western gates of the castle.

Today the princess plays an assured role as heir to the throne, but life was not always so straightforward. In fact, she has been unusually open about her teenage struggles with anorexia. 

Crown Princess Victoria, husband Prince Daniel, Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar dressed in traditional costume for Swedish National Day

The Crown Princess and her family opened the gates of the palace to the public at 10am

Now 45-years-old, the Crown Princess opened up about her eating disorder. Here she is pictured during a visit to the National Museum of Australia, on February 13, 2023

Crown Princess Victoria enjoys some cross country skiing in Sonfjället National Park in April

Victoria has found herself at the cutting edge of another struggle, also – the right of women to inherit ahead of their brothers, as had been traditional. 

In 1979, Sweden was among the very first monarchies to introduce absolute primogeniture, a move only followed by the United Kingdom in 2013.  

The Crown Princess, now 45 years old,  began to assist her parents King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia with their work after turning 18 in 1995.

But this came at a cost, she has explained. Being first in line to the  Swedish throne meant she put intense pressure on herself to the detriment of her health. 

‘I wanted all the time to do and be so much more than I realistically could do, or could be,’ she said.

In November 1997, the palace announced Victoria was suffering from an eating disorder following concern that she  looked noticeably thinner at the Order of the Innocence Ball

The Crown Princess became eligible to serve as head of state and began to assist her parents’ work after turning 18 (pictured on her birthday) in 1995

in 2010, she married her long-term partner, Prince Daniel, who was her personal trainer 

When she is crowned, Victoria will become the first reigning queen in the royal family of Sweden since 1818 following the parliamentary change to the Act of Succession that introduced absolute primogeniture.

In November 1997, the palace announced she was suffering from an eating disorder.

This followed an intense wave of public concern after she was photographed looking noticeably thinner in a sleeveless dress at the Order of the Innocence Ball in April of that year. 

Just as the 20-year-old Victoria was due to start at Sweden’s Uppsala University, she knew she needed to get help and postponed her place, deciding to take time for herself in the United States instead.

She said: ‘In the US, I got professional help, which was really important for me. Just learning to put words to feelings and thus, be able to set limits and to not push myself too much, which I found easy. I wanted all the time so much more than I could do, or could be.’ 

During an interview marking her 21st birthday, she revealed she had turned a corner and thanked the media for allowing her privacy to recover.

‘It’s not always about external problems. It can also come from within, and it can happen to everyone, not only young girls but also boys’.

She added: ‘I needed time to sort things out and get my balance back again.

‘I needed to get to know myself, discover where my limits were, not constantly push myself too much.’

Although this period in her life was incredibly difficult, which she said ‘it takes time, and hurts very much’, it also led her to her husband.

She met her now-husband, Prince Daniel, 49, who was her former personal trainer following doctor-ordered sessions.

The couple were married in 2010 after a long-term relationship, and are now parents to Princess Estelle, Duchess of Östergötland, 11, and Prince Oscar, Duke of Skåne, seven.  

The mother-of-two is a full-time working member of the Swedish Royal Family, and as an ambassador in the Sustainable Development Goals Advocacy Group, she primarily works with issues concerning water and health.

Victoria admitted that to this day she continues to set a high drive for perfectionism, however, now she uses it to focus on her love for her country. 

She said: ‘The downside is that you will never be completely satisfied. But it’s not entirely negative, of course, for this also applies to want to evolve and do my best. And that is what drives me to help Sweden.’

During her interview Victoria also spoke of her daughter, Princess Estelle, and how she sees a likeness in their qualities. 

The Crown Princess said: ‘She is very courageous and social, and it is an asset in life and perhaps especially in the role she has. She is very curious about people.’

She explained how her daughter’s character would serve as a strength for when she ascends to the throne as Queen one day, adding that she gets her sociable nature from both her parents.

Victoria intends to let her ‘children be children’ away from the limelight and will introduce them gradually into their roles as royals, according to People. 

Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel, Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar of Sweden attending the christening Prince Julian of Sweden at Drottningholms slott in Ekero, Sweden in 2021

Like mother, like daughter: During her interview Victoria also spoke of her daughter, Princess Estelle, and how she sees a likeness in their qualities. Pictured: Left, The Crown Princess Victoria in 1992, Right, Princess Estelle in 2021

Born in 2012, Princess Estelle is the eldest child of Crown Princess Victoria and is next in line to the Swedish throne after her mother.

The princess previously attended a preschool near Stockholm which followed the Ur and Skur outdoor teaching methods to focus on the natural world.

She now attends Campus Manilla in Stockholm where she was joined last year by her younger brother, Prince Oscar.

The young Princess Estelle regularly makes appearances with her mother Crown Princess Victoria and her father Daniel Westling.

She carried out her first royal engagement in 2014 at just two years old when she opened a ‘fairytale path’ at Linköping Castle.

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