As you all know by now, Sweden’s crown princess Victoria is getting married in 30 days 22 hours 16 minutes and 34 seconds – according  the several countdowns on wedding websites. Naturally, this is a big occasion. Not only because royal weddings like this don’t come across very often, but also because Victoria is marrying a completely “normal” guy, without any blue blood or posh background. Daniel Westling is a gym owner from the small town of Ockelbo. He met Victoria in 2001, when he became her personal trainer and that was clearly an investment (investering) worth the money for our crown princess. The got together a little while later but it has taken years and years for Daniel to earn his spot next to Victoria on official occasions. Old traditionalists are still moaning about his lack of family history and small town upbringing, but nine years later, Daniel have been meticulously educated (utbildad) in the royal school and is now ready to wed our crown princess. This week, they made their first up close and personal interview together and that was the second time in all these years I heard him speak.  This was the first, when their engagement (förlovning) was announced last year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbT9EnF-8YQ

Brr, a bit awkward, isn’t it?

 But royal weddings don’t come cheap. The budget for the whole shebang is increasing weekly and the last price tag I saw was estimated to 100 million SEK.  Of course, this isn’t only for the actual wedding – would be a heck of a party if it was – it also includes the LOVE festival that will take place in Stockholm city from June 6th and up until the wedding, the rebuild of the palace where Victoria and Daniel will live in after the wedding, the live TV broadcasting, the massive security system surrounding Stockholm for several days and so on and so on… And of course, this is not all paid for by papa king. He contributes with 15 million SEK from “his” wallet and I guess you can see where this is going…  Loads of Swedes are terribly unhappy about the fact that their tax money (skattepengar) are funding this event and the whole debate about the monarchy’s to be or not to be is raging. “Give the money to the third world instead”, shouts the opponents. “Oh come on, it won’t cost more than a cinnamon bun (kanelbulle) per Swede and think of all the money we’ll make on tourism and wedding merchandise!” replies the proponents. 

No matter what, Sweden will host the biggest wedding in a very long time in 30 days, 21 hours, 12 minutes and eight seconds and I must admit, I am quite looking forward to 12 hours of live broadcasting of red carpets, fancy frocks and royalites.  If you do as well, it will be broadcasted live on the internet here.

So. Any thoughts on the big fat royal wedding?