Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland (born Olof Daniel Westling; born 15 September 1973) is a member of the Swedish royal family by marriage to Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, making him the presumptive consort of Sweden. Prior to his marriage to the heir apparent to the Swedish throne, he was a personal trainer and gym owner and ran a company called Balance Training with three gyms in central Stockholm.
Olof Daniel Westling was born on 15 September 1973 to Olle Westling and Ewa (née Westring) at Örebro Hospital, coincidentally the same day that Carl XVI Gustaf's reign began. His mother and father worked for the postal service and social services, respectively. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to a suburb of Falun, and then again in 1978 to Ockelbo. He has an older sister, Anna. Most of his ancestors were farmers in the province of Hälsingland. Daniel was christened at Almby Church in January 1974. His father has Forest Finnish ancestry.
He graduated from Perslundaskolan, and also played hockey at the junior and A-team level. After completing his education, he worked as a care assistant in a nursing home. He completed 15 months of military service as part of national conscription in the Swedish Army at Hälsinge Regiment in Gävle. He was honorably discharged as a second lieutenant. Daniel then worked at an after-school center for children with special needs for about a year.
In November 2009 it was reported that Westling was to step down as CEO and member of the Board of Directors of the Balance company, although he would continue to be an equity partner. It was expected that the same procedure would be followed with his involvements in other companies before he became prince.
Relationship with Crown Princess Victoria
In 2001, Westling met Crown Princess Victoria when he became her personal trainer. In May 2002 Expressen reported that they were dating. As the relationship progressed, the press noted that he did not appear comfortable with public attention. In July 2002, Daniel and Victoria were pictured kissing for the first time at a party. On 1 July 2008, he moved into a one-bedroom rental apartment in the Pagebyggnaden building on the grounds of Drottningholm Palace. The move was confirmed by the Royal Court.
On 24 February 2009, Daniel and Crown Princess Victoria received the required consent of King Carl XVI Gustaf and the Government of Sweden for marriage. Such permission is necessary according to the terms of the Swedish Act of Succession.
The wedding took place at the Stockholm Cathedral on 19 June 2010, the 34th anniversary of her parents' wedding. After the wedding, Daniel and Victoria moved into the Haga Palace in Stockholm, Sweden. On 26 September 2010, Daniel went on his first tour with Victoria, visiting France in connection with the Bernadotte anniversary.
On 17 August 2011, the Swedish royal court announced that Daniel and Victoria were expecting their first child in March 2012. She gave birth to a girl on 23 February 2012, Princess Estelle, Duchess of Östergötland. Daniel took his paternity leave and switched parental roles with Victoria when Estelle began preschool. Their second child, Prince Oscar, Duke of Skåne, was born on 2 March 2016.
Daniel has a congenital, non-hereditary kidney disease, which was discovered in connection with an accident at age 16. The condition became more severe around 2008–2009, and he underwent dialysis while his parents were tested as potential donors. Three months after his engagement, on 29 May 2009, Westling underwent a kidney transplant at Karolinska University Hospital. His father was the donor and the operation was a success. Victoria could not be present during the operation as she was on a state visit to Greenland at the time. He has since discussed his experience with the press and advocated for organ donation.
Daniel is a patron in the following organizations: A Swedish Classic, The Healthy Generation Foundation, International Society of Nephrology, More Organ Donation.
Daniel is a keen sportsman. He has attended the Ryder Cup and also plays golf himself; as of October 2023 had a handicap of 4.4. He also enjoys football and ice hockey, and supports AIK Fotboll and AIK Hockey, respectively.
Daniel invented Prince Daniel's Race and Sports Day, which are arranged each year to encourage more young people to get exercise and to take an interest in sport. The game is in association with the Swedish Sports Confederation.
Daniel and Victoria established a foundation to mark the occasion of their marriage in 2010. The focus of the foundation is to combat exclusion and promote good health among children and young people in Sweden. The couple established Generation Pep, a non-profit organisation that works to raise awareness of and encourage commitment to issues relating to the health of children and young people. It awards one school each year for promotion of physical activity in young people. Schools can also earn a certification for creating initiatives to increase movement and sport participation amongst its students. In association with the organization, Daniel has visited schools in Sweden and Finland.
In 2022, the Karolinska Institute conferred him with an honorary doctorate for his public health advocacy.
He is an honorary chairman of the board of the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation and has given his name to Prince Daniel's Grant for Promising Young Researchers.
Each year, Daniel visits the Swedish Young Enterprise Championship. He is also a member of Young Enterprise's national board.
The Prince Daniel's Fellowship project and its entrepreneurial programme were launched in January 2013. Prince Daniel with business leaders and entrepreneurs visits upper secondary schools, universities and university colleges around Sweden to inspire young people to get involved in entrepreneurship. This project is a long-term partnership between Prince Daniel and the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences.