Crown Princess Victoria celebrates name day 2025 in Stockholm without husband Prince Daniel and children Princess Estelle, Prince Oscar

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden has received flowers and words of congratulations as she celebrated her name day in Stockholm.

But in a break from previous years, the 47-year-old was not joined by her husband Prince Daniel or their two children Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar.

The Crown Princess also wore military uniform at the event for the first time as she undergoes training to be an officer in Sweden’s Armed Forces.

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Crown Princess Victoria’s name day has been celebrated in Sweden on March 12 since the 1990s.

It’s a tradition that takes place in the capital but her actual birthday – July 14 – receives a larger party in Öland, in the country’s southeast. She will turn 48 this year.

The Armed Forces take charge of the celebrations in Stockholm each year and on Wednesday the Crown Princess was treated to a guard of honour from the Life Guards, a high guard from the Life Regiment’s Hussars, K3 and the Army’s band.

After the ceremony, Victoria greeted the many well-wishers who had come to the Royal Palace for the event.

In what would likely have been disappointing for some royal fans, Prince Daniel and their children were not included in the day’s events, for unknown reasons.

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Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel usually bring Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar to the name day festivities. Both children recently had birthdays: Princess Estelle turned 13 on February 23, and Prince Oscar celebrated his ninth birthday on March 3.

The Crown Princess wore military dress for the first time following her recent promotion to ensign in Sweden’s Armed Forces.

In August last year, Victoria began special officer training at the Swedish Defence University, with further instruction undertaken at the National Defence Academy.

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The palace said her training was being done in preparation for her future role as monarch “to acquire a deeper understanding of tactics, military science and military strategy” with both theoretical and practical elements involved.

The Crown Princess previously carried out basic military training at the Swedish Armed Forces International Centre in 2003, 2019 and 2021.

Victoria will one day succeed her father King Carl XVI Gustaf as monarch.

But at the time of her birth in 1977, Victoria was not entitled to inherit the Swedish throne due to its policy of an agnatic order of succession, meaning that only males could inherit the throne.

Instead, it was her younger brother Prince Carl Philip who was intended to one day become King.

That was until 1979 when the Swedish parliament voted to introduce gender-neutral succession rights, allowing women to inherit the throne for the first time.

The change came into effect on January 1, 1980, and the King and Queen’s firstborn Victoria jumped to the front of the queue in the order of succession.

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Now, all firstborn children of the monarch can accede the throne, regardless of gender.

That means Crown Princess Victoria’s eldest child, and daughter, Princess Estelle will one day become Queen of Sweden.

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