NordenBladet – Crown Princess Victoria is often referred to as the ‘Godmother of Europe.’ She received this rather unusual nickname because she has 18 (yes, eighteen) godchildren.
Crown Princess Victoria is one of Europe’s most popular royals. Every single year she is voted the most popular royal in her own country of Sweden. Many royals seem to like the Crown Princess, as well, as they have often asked her to be godmother to their children. Crown Princess Victoria almost has a godchild in every European country with a monarchy. In addition, she is the godmother to three future Kings and Queens.
Crown Princess Victoria has a very close relationship with Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark. Victoria is the godmother of the Danish Couple’s firstborn, Prince Christian. Crown Princess Mary is godmother to Victoria’s and Daniel’s firstborn, Princess Estelle, while Frederik is godfather to Prince Oscar.
Princess Catharina-Amalia, daughter of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, is also lucky to have Crown Princess Victoria as her godmother. In return, King Willem-Alexander is also one of Princess Estelle’s godfathers. Victoria is also listed as one of Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway’s godmothers. Crown Prince Haakon is conversely godfather to Princess Estelle, while Crown Princess Mette-Marit has Prince Oscar as a godchild.
Other royal godchildren of Crown Princess Victoria, who will not become King or Queen one day, are Princess Eléonore of Belgium, daughter of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde and Prince Constantine Alexios of Greece and Denmark, son of Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece. In 2014, Princess Katharina of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was added to the long list. She is the daughter of the Hereditary Prince and Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the heirs of the Ducal Family of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Most of their parents chose Victoria as a godmother to their son or daughter because she is the Crown Princess and future Queen of Sweden, and royals often want other royals to become their children’s godparents. Of course, the bond between Her Royal Highness and the parents of her godchildren is often quite close.
Crown Princess Victoria is godmother of her niece, Princess Leonore (Photo: Anna-Lena Ahlström, Kungahuset.se)
The Crown Princess is also the godmother of various family members. She became Princess Leonore’s godmother in 2014 when her younger sister, Princess Madeleine and brother-in-law, Chris O’Neill, became parents for the first time. Her most recent godchild is Prince Alexander, son of her brother Prince Carl Philip and sister-in-law Princess Sofia. Thus, Victoria is both their aunt and godmother. In return, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine are respectively godparents to Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar. The children of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden created the tradition that the aunts and uncles of the children will also become the godparents according to the birth order.
On her mother’s side, Crown Princess Victoria is godmother to many Sommerlath children. Her first godchild was Vivien Sommerlath, now 24-years-old. She is the daughter of Victoria’s maternal uncle, Jörg Sommerlath. Vivien is also a godchild of Queen Silvia. Giulia Sommerlath, daughter of Victoria’s maternal uncle Thomas Sommerlath is also on the list. Crown Princess Victoria’s cousin, Patrick Sommerlath and his wife Camilla Lundén also asked Victoria to be their son Leopold’s godmother.
On her father’s side, Crown Princess Victoria is the godmother of Ian de Geer, son of Princess Désirées, daughter/ Victoria’s cousin, Tina and Hans de Geer. Also, Madeleine von Dincklage, the daughter of Victoria’s cousin, Sybilla von Dincklage, is one of Victoria’s godchildren. Then there is also Gustaf Magnusson (son of Victoria’s aunt Princess Christina), who asked Victoria to be the godmother of his and Vicky Andrén’s daughter, Désirée.
Crown Princess Victoria is the godmother of her nephew, Prince Alexander. Photo: Mattias Edwall, The Royal Court, Sweden
Furthermore, Crown Princess Victoria is godmother to several children of her good friends. She is a godparent of friends Caroline and Peder Dinkelspiel’s son, Willem; friends Andrea Brodin and Niclas Engsäll’s daughter, Diana; friends Caroline and Jesper Nilsson’s daughter, Chloé; and friends Karl-Johan and Leonie Persson’s son, Ian.
At the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel, many of these godchildren were part of the bridal party. Princess Catharina-Amalia, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Prince Christian, Vivian, Leopold and Giulia Sommerlath, Ian de Geer and Madeleine von Dincklage were pageboys, flower girls and bridesmaids at the wedding. The other godchildren were either too young to participate or not born yet.
After seeing this long list of children, it is no surprise that the Crown Princess of Sweden is also called Europe’s godmother. Victoria has many gifts to buy each year for her many goddaughters and godsons.
Featured image: Elisabeth Toll, The Royal Court of Sweden