Crown Princess Victoria, 32, will tie the knot with 36-year-old commoner Daniel Westling in an afternoon ceremony at the Stockholm Cathedral.
瑞典王储维多利亚公主与“平民”出身的未婚夫韦斯特林
今天下午将在Stockholm Cathedral完婚。

It has been described as a true-life fairytale wedding. This afternoon in Stockholm Cathedral, Crown Princess Victoria, next in line to the Swedish throne, will marry not a fellow aristocrat but an ordinary citizen – her former personal trainer.

Yet instead of Sweden settling down in unison to watch Daniel Westling join the nation's royal family, the event has become a focus for growing antipathy towards the monarchy in a country that emphasises equality.

Over 200,000 well-wishers may be turning out to cheer the happy couple, but support for the royal family is falling. Sweden may have coped better with the economic crisis than some, but many resent the fact that half the cost of the wedding, believed to total 20 million kronor (£1.75 million), is being covered by taxpayers. Nearly 57,000 Facebook users have joined a group protesting against the public expense.

Since the engagement was announced in February 2009, membership of the Swedish Republican Associaiton has more than doubled to around 6,500. "For us it's been quite positive in the way that it created more of a discussion in the society about the government," Magnus Simonsson, of the Swedish Republican Association, told The Independent.

In another worrying sign for the father of the bride, King Carl XVI Gustaf, an April poll released by the University of Gothenburg's SOM Institute showed that only 56 per cent of Swedes want to keep the monarchy, compared with 68 per cent in 2003.

The royal court did not respond to a request for comment, but the happy couple gave an interview to the Swedish television channel TV4 about the wedding arrangements.

"We've talked a lot about how it should be inclusive and how everyone should be able to enjoy our big day," said Mr Westling. "And we're happy and proud that Swedish society has chosen to highlight the occasion."

相关中文报道:

  6月19日对瑞典来说是个特殊的日子,瑞典王储维多利亚公主将与未婚夫丹尼尔.韦斯特林举行婚礼。此次婚礼显得尤为特别,因为维多利亚公主是瑞典首位女性王位继承人,并且在瑞典历史上,王位继承人与“平民”结婚也是十分罕见。此外,6月19日也是36年前她的父母 -- 卡尔.古斯塔夫十六世和西尔维娅结婚的日子。

  在瑞典首都斯德哥尔摩,为时两周的庆祝活动从6月6日国庆开始,到6月19日婚礼之日进入高潮。这个被誉为“斯堪地那维亚首都”的美丽城市将充满皇家的浪漫:音乐、艺术、文化、美食、时尚和设计无不为婚礼造势。游客对精美的皇家婚礼纪念品更疯狂热衷。

  这段爱的罗曼史源自2002年,在妹妹玛德琳公主的介绍下,维多利亚公主加入了企业家和健身教练丹尼尔.韦斯特林的私人健身俱乐部,两人渐生情愫并展开恋情。经过为时8年的爱情长跑,加上在公众与个人身份之间的博弈和平衡,这对新人终于决定共同面对这段不同寻常的人生,接受这份国家赋予的责任。 2009年2月,瑞典王室正式宣布了两人的订婚消息,随后又宣布,这对新人将于2010年6月19日在位于斯德哥尔摩老城内的大教堂完婚,与34年前国王和王后的婚礼在同一日子、同一教堂举行。婚后,韦斯特林先生的头衔将是“丹尼尔亲王,西约特兰公爵”,这是瑞典皇室第一次给女性皇室成员的配偶授予头衔。

  公主婚礼预算大约是2000万克朗(折合成人民币数额相当),婚礼实况届时将成为瑞典历史上规模最大的一次电视转播。67台摄像机将实时记录婚礼盛况,整个播出时长将达16小时。瑞典政府将把哈加城堡作为礼物赠送给两位新人,婚后他们就将住在这座城堡里。城堡建于1802年,曾居住过很多王室成员。

  瑞典皇室既是全世界最古老的皇室之一,也是举世公认最现代的皇室,近年来愈加受公众的欢迎。作为皇冠上的明珠,维多利亚公主对文化、艺术、设计、可持续发展的热爱使她成为全球最受瞩目的公主之一。1977年7月14日,维多利亚出生在斯德哥尔摩。在其出生之前,瑞典国内就有王位继承法是否应该修改成男女平等的长子/女继承制之讨论。1979年,根据人民的意愿,国王修改王位继承法。次年,长女维多利亚成为瑞典第一任女王储,她是当今世界上唯一一位女王储。由此可见,瑞典是全世界最平等的国家之一。

(相关中文报道摘自凤凰网)