Daniel Westling moves into Drottningholm: June 2008

[LadyFinn]

Aftonbladet/BEVISET: Nu flyttar Daniel in på slottet
Aftonbladet/HÄR ÄR BEVISEN

Now it is official: Daniel Westling is moving to a new apartment at the Drottningholm Castle estates. The King lets him live there from the first of July. Daniel has made a change of address on the 12th June.
Last Tuesday Daniel made a rental agreement. He will have a two rooms and a kitchen apartment (61 square metres) at the Pagebyggnaden (house used by the servants) beside the castle.
At the first of July he can move in to the beautiful red wooden house with leafy garden.

"It´s going to be more official"
- Everyone has known that Victoria and Daniel have basically lived together for a long time. The difference is this new address of Daniel and that it will be more official that they live together, says the court expert Herman Lindqvist.
- The apartment is too small for Victoria, she lives at a wing in the castle. Daniel has for a long time stayed with Victoria when she is home. This will continue now, the difference is that when Victoria is away Daniel will live at the Pagebyggnaden.
Daniel has made a rental agreement. He will pay a rent of 4868 SEK in a month (about 520 euros).
The rental agreement:
Aftonbladet
Aftonbladet
Aftonbladet
The apartment is just a couple hundred metres away from Victoria´s wing.
At the agreement says that even if Daniel and Victoria will separate, Daniel can stay at his apartment until he dies. He can not change the apartment to another at the castle area. The King can fire off Daniel on three month´s notice, if someone at the Royal Family needs the apartment. In that case Daniel must be offered the same kind of apartment nearby.

The court confirms
- It seems that this agreement is made like that it is good for everyone, says Anita Bigosinska, a lawyer from the Swedish Union of Tenants.
The court confirms the move, but not that it contains that Daniel and Victoria will live together.
- No, Drottningholm is big. He will not live at the castle, he will have an apartment nearby at the castle area. I don´t know then he will move, says Nina Eldh, the informationschef of the Swedish Court.

Jenny Alexandersson´s blog/Svensk Damtidning
Jenny Alexandersson is sure that this means that it will be an engagement soon, the King would have never let Daniel move to the castle area, if Daniel and Victoria wouldn´t be serious with the relationship.

Same story:
Expressen/Nu flyttar Daniel Westling till Drottningholm
Nyhetskanalen/Nu flyttar Daniel till sin Victoria

 

[norwegianne]

It's kind of looking like something is on the way… possibly an engagement.

It's interesting to note that the apartment will be Daniel's regardless of his situation with Victoria.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

They are taking it sloooooowly, one step after another, aren't they
How nice, now they will travel to Stockholm City every morning together time to make the rest official I'd say. I bet there is an engagement around the corner soon. Finally! If not the King would never have given his OK to such an arrangement.

 

[Lena]

They are taking it sloooooowly, one step after another, aren't they
How nice, now they will travel to Stockholm City every morning together time to make the rest official I'd say. I bet there is an engagement around the corner soon. Finally! If not the King would never have given his OK to such an arrangement.

I think, that´s what they did already...in the past 3 or so years. Svensk Damtidning´s spies did even illustrate things lyrically...with stories about him stroking her knee, while driving

I´d also say "engagement" until April...otherwise things would get really ridiculous. And if more programmes and columns like "Ers Kungliga Höghet Westling" would come their start would be a lot more difficult.
But as you have said....they are taking things sloooooowly...and if Westling would hang out there until 2010...walking the dog with her and so on...and so on...I wouldn´t be surprised either...

Thank you for the extended report, LadyFinn

 

[Smilla]

Good for them!
They are acting very, very sensibly - take their time, make sure the relationship works before they make it "official".
I guess an engagement and marriage are the next big things to happen.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

and if Westling would hang out there until 2010...walking the dog with her and so on...and so on...I wouldn´t be surprised either...

Haha that cracked me up Lena
Yes Drottningholm is a big place ... Daniel moving in there doesn't actually mean that they share an apartment ... or even see each other
You are right, at some point things are getting ridiculous, something must happen within the next year.

 

[Odette]

Haha that cracked me up Lena
Yes Drottningholm is a big place ... Daniel moving in there doesn't actually mean that they share an apartment ... or even see each other
You are right, at some point things are getting ridiculous, something must happen within the next year.

I feel something should have been announced already. Unless there are issues no one knows that needed to be addressed, these two should have been engaged by now. Victoria will be 31 in the next few weeks. They have been together for so long and I am sure the King and Queen realised by now that he is here to stay.

 

[PrinceOfCanada]

Why should they have been engaged by now? People should only get engaged when and if they feel ready to do so. Clearly they do not, and they are taking time to ensure that the relationship is solid before they make the next step. Perhaps they have learned a lesson from the disaster that was Charles and Diana? In Royal circles, an engagement isn't a trial period--breaking one off is a much, much bigger deal than amongst us regular folk.

 

[pamk]

I bet that an engagement is announced in the Fall - around October or November and then they will get married in the summer of 2009.
It will take that long to set up all of the wedding arrangments.

 

[norwegianne]

I bet that an engagement is announced in the Fall - around October or November and then they will get married in the summer of 2009.
It will take that long to set up all of the wedding arrangments.

That was the pattern of Haakon and Mette-Marit when they moved in together. Fall 2000 move in together, December 2000 engagement, August 2001 wedding.

The difference is, of course, that 1) Victoria and Daniel have been together far longer than Haakon and Mette-Marit had and 2) they're not officially living together as Haakon and Mette-Marit did.

 

[Royal Fan]

So thry arent sharing rooms correct? Somethings up I Got a lil Excited when I Read this.

 

[norwegianne]

So thry arent sharing rooms correct? Somethings up I Got a lil Excited when I Read this.

Officially, they're not sharing rooms, no. Daniel has his two room apartment in another building, and Victoria has her own wing of the actual palace.

 

[LadyFinn]

Daniel and Victoria will live separately. Victoria lives in one wing of the castle, Daniel will live in his apartment at the Page House near the castle at the Drottningholm castle estates.
Hello!/Victoria of Sweden's gym-owner love to move into royal palace
Hola!/Daniel Westling, nuevo residente en el Palacio Real de Suecia

Aftonbladet/Experten: De förlovar sig redan i höst
Catarina Hurtig: Daniel is a good representant for Sweden

Daniel Westling´s move to Drottningholm is historical. The royals have traditionally not moved together before marriage.
- He is a pioneer and soon we will see the engagement, says the court expert Catarina Hurtig.
Daniel´s move to an apartment at the castle estates before he and the crown princess are engaged is very uncommon.

Catarina Hurtig says that royals don´t usually live together before marriage.
- I know just one case. It was when Mette-Marit moved to live with prince Haakon. It caused a big outcry and king Harald had to defend his son. He had to say that he believed that it was going to lead to a wedding to settle the people down.

Because Daniel Westling and the crown princess have already lived together, Catarina Hurtig is sure about his role at the household.
- Cooking isn´t Victoria´s strong skills and so Daniel will make their dinners. But he can have some tips from his future father-in-law.

According to Catarina Hurtig Daniel has all the features that are needed to live together with a royal.
- In Europe the consorts have been a sad collection of depressed gentlemen. They have not coped very well of living in the shadow of a woman. But Daniel is a modern swedish gentleman, who will solve the task.

But what does this move mean? Hurtig is assured that there´s only one answer to the question: the engagement.
- Presumably it will happen already in the autumn. It is earlier than expected and then we will have a summer wedding next year.

Catarina Hurtig believes that Daniel Westling will succeed in winning the popularity amongst the people.
- I remember the first time I met him. It was at a wedding and I said hello when he passed me. Daniel just said "no comments". Today he is secure at his role and an excellent representant for Sweden.

Photo of the house where Daniel shall live

 

[marmi]

Hello's article

 

[pamk]

I think that a lot of the Royals agendas are hinging on the Olympics in August --- the royal families all attend and root for thier home country's teams. Many of the royals sit on their country's Olympic Committee and thus are very busy up until and into August.
After the Olympics, I wouldn't be surprised to see the engagements of Daniel & Victoria, Zara and Mike and Albert & Charlene (maybe also Nicolaos & Tatiana?) all announced.

 

[R_Bee]

I think it sounds like a good deal. Daniel and Victoria get to live close to one another, yet can still keep their own private space at the same time. I am totally expecting to hear about an engagement before the end of the year.

 

[PrinceOfCanada]

Cooking isn´t Victoria´s strong skills and so Daniel will make their dinners. But he can have some tips from his future father-in-law.

As if they would be cooking their own dinners. Please.

 

[princess leonor]

Sounds good. All we have to do is wait for the big announcement now!

 

[randomlyKeira]

I think that's amazing. They should be proud to be modern and being an almost normal couple (practically) living together before marriage. I know they're not exactly in the same house but this is really a big step anyways, because does anyone really believe that they'll stay apart if they're only a few hundred meters apart? I doubt it. They've just twisted the moving-in-together story so that it doesn't embarass the royal family or the couple.

I also expect an engagement soon. And I expect their wedding to be beautiful. Cheers to Danie and Victoria!

 

[LadyFinn]

El mundo/VICTORIA DE SUECIA Y SU NOVIO VIVIRÁN EN PALACIO
Gala/Daniel zieht nach Drottningholm

 

[Marengo]

Well, it seems that there is finally some action. First the appearance of Daniel in Denmark and now this. It gives some expectations of an engagement in the near future.
Thanks LadyFin for your elaborate posts on the matter, very interesting. Did any of the magazines or newspapers have a picture of the place where Daniel will be living? Or of Victoria's wing of the palace?

-
Is it obligatory to release these rental contracts in Sweden by the way?

 

[rop81]

Well finally we´re seeing some signs that an engagement is about to happen. I hope that the engagement will happen this fall, but maybe they will wait over the Nobel, beacuse otherwise Daniel would make his debute there wouldn´t he? But let´s all hope that it will FINALLY happen this fall and a wedding in june 2009, i have waited soo long for this now and i can´t stand to wait another year...

 

[Lena]

Yes, probably he would attend the NPA with the Royal family. But IMO this is not soooo much of a task...as many relatives of laureates aren´t used to such things either. Besides we wouldn´t get a detailed description, what they had talked about at the table...and at the ceremony he just needs to sit there and look interested (and even the RF isn´t always a pro in that )
Somehow I am thinking, that duties like the king´s birthday (waving and all) or the National day (more waving, shaking hands, posing...) or trips through the country are a little more complicated for Daniel than a NPA...that he can wear white tie, we have seen and since he mostly eats in noble restaurants, he could probably also fill his stomach at the NPA banquett the Royal civilised way
V&D go unusual ways...so I´d say every engagement date from September to May is possible (as I still stick with a summer wedding)

Pics of Westling´s new apartment (house)
http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/2728/7733321nb4.jpg
ImageShack - Hosting :: huset667034arp4.jpg

Victoria apartment encircled + an other aerial pic
ImageShack - Hosting :: slottpg4.jpg
http://img399.imageshack.us/img399/4720/dholmol3.jpg

Type in "Drottningholm" + choose "flygfoto" and you can see more aerial photos. Quite a nice place to live IMO
Eniro kartor visar adresser & vägen till företag & personer

 

[grevinnan]

There was an article in one of the Swedish newspapers today about the struggle for Daniel to become accepted and about Victoria's support and her decision to stand by him no matter what. Daniel has gone through a lenghty "education" to become her consort. There may be some similarities here between Daniel and Victoria and King and Queen. When Carl Gustaf became King there were widespread speculation that the monarchy would not survive. He was seen as a playboy, not very bright and most likely not able to take over after his very respected and loved grandfather. He surprised everyone with his first speech as the new king but he was still very insecure and not very "kingly". Silvia was seen as the person that helped him in becoming more secure and instilling a sense of royal family around him. She was apparently very intelligent and very capable in taking on the role as his queen. Yet she was not "royal" enough for many royal houses at the time yet she eventually became one of the most regal queens. Victoria would have seen the dynamic of a very supportive and loving mother/spouse and also her father supporting his non-royal spouse/queen. Victoria probably did not hesitate to stay with Daniel once she decided he was the life companion she wanted even though his back ground was so different and "unacceptable". Although her parents situation was different the dynamic between husband and wife in their personal and intimate lives does not differ because you are royal. I believe the inclusion of Silvia and Daniel - both "non-royal" has and will continue to strengthen the royal family in Sweden. Daniel will most likely take over many of the interests Prince Bertil was involved in - sports and the out-of-doors and nature. The things that are closest to most Swede's hearts.

 

[Odette]

Forgive me but I do not understand why the Royal Palace had to announce that Daniel rented a pied a terre from the King. Supposedly from what I read he is a very succesful businessman with his gyms. He must have had a nice place to live in.
I can understand Daniel's hesitation to being front and center and having the media scrutinize and criticise his every move. However neither one of them is getting younger, they know each other for years. Why don't they announce the engagement now and get married in September? CG announced his engagement in February and the wedding was in June..........

 

[grevinnan]

The Royal Palace did not announce. These documents are public and journalists probably are monitoring everything that goes on around the royal family. The Royal Palace simply acknowledged what was already public.

 

[Odette]

The Royal Palace did not announce. These documents are public and journalists probably are monitoring everything that goes on around the royal family. The Royal Palace simply acknowledged what was already public.

That makes more sense to me now.

 

[Lena]

But it´s though quite interesting, that they had detected this news so fast (the contract was signed 3 days before!) I mean we are talking about the Swedish press...those are these days mainly copying foreign agency news or news from local newspapers. Surely the public system in Sweden makes it easy to do some research, but it´s still amazing, that they had found it so fast. Esp. if we consider, that Aftonbladet doesn´t have a regular Royal reporter at the moment
I´d not be surprised, if the court wouldn´t have followed strictly the principle of secrecy in this case
After all there has been some criticism on Daniel (&Emma &Jonas) "lying" about their prinicipal residence (as they would spend much more time with their partners) And the king giving a life-long right of abode to Daniel is good PR for the man, who is often said to not like his daughter´s boyfriend
I´d also not be surprised, if Daniel wouldn´t pay...or better said would pay, but would get the money back...

 

[Odette]

Then the cynical part of me would suggest that perhaps the Palace "leaked" the information to get some feedback about how the Swedes would accept this. In any case, Daniel is getting closer.....
As Queen Sofia had said once, Parents fight their childrens' choices if they disagree with them but once it is a done deal they must do all they can to preserve the unity of the couple.

 

[Lena]

IMO Sofia´s statement would totally fit Silvia.
As soon as the deal would be clear, she would surely do everything to promote the idea of an unity and of "grandma Silvia"
IMO one can compare Silvia and Daniel in the aspect of being "unsuitable" by the standards of their time. But one can´t compare their educations for the Royal job and their attitude.
One could think Silvia was bred and raised for the job "Queen". She grew up in a various cultures. She was always interested in fashion and elegant appearances. She was studying several languages. She was meeting VIPs. She was like Daniel discreet in the dating time, but at the same time always friendly (words + body language)
And if you ask me, she knows her value (she is sometimes a bit cocky in interviews) and the differences to Daniel. But at least she can´t deny, that he had tried his best and probably would try it even more in the future. So probably she would accept him as member of the firm (with grinding teeth though)...and if she would accept it, hubby would surely follow...