How fighting anorexia helped a Swedish princess get married

Princess Victoria was two years old when it became clear that she would become Queen of Sweden. In 1980, a law came into effect whereby the eldest child of the monarch would inherit the throne, regardless of gender. But such a high purpose did not save Victoria from school bullying, which even the most ordinary children face.

The monarch’s daughter had dyslexia in her childhood – problems with reading and writing. Other children mocked the girl when she stuttered aloud while reading, calling her stupid and slow. Victoria was able to cope with the problem thanks to diligent study with lecturers, but her troubles did not end there.

After leaving school in 1996, she faced anorexia. At first they hid it in the palace, moreover, at that moment Victoria was studying in France. However, when the media published photos in which she looked very thin, public attention only increased, and the royal palace had to admit the princess’s illness. As Victoria later said, the pressure she felt knowing she was going to be queen led to an eating disorder. The constant scrutiny and lack of solitude were hard for her.

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The princess went to the US to continue her education at Yale University and undergo treatment. After returning home, she was advised to do sports to consolidate the results. Exercise helped manage the anxiety that caused her anorexia symptoms.

Victoria began attending the top-class Master Training gym, where she met its owner Daniel Westling in 2001, who later became her personal trainer. First a friendship and then a romance arose between them.

The princess was afraid of her parents’ reaction and kept her relationship with Daniel a secret, knowing that she would be condemned because the chosen one was a commoner. She eventually confessed, and although her parents initially disapproved of the relationship, they accepted Daniel. The couple announced their engagement and had a formal wedding ceremony on June 19, 2010, after eight years of courtship.

A difficult period in the life of the princess thus turned into a fateful meeting and personal happiness for her.