Photo by Johannes Jansson/ Baltic Development Forum via Flickr

Today marks one of the most important days in the Swedish royal year – Victoriadagen.

It is celebrated annually on 14 July to honour Crown Princess Victoria. The celebrations began on her second birthday in 1979 and also honours one Swedish sportsperson for their skills and representation of Sweden.

The day begins at Solliden Palace – the private residence of the Royal Family – on the island of Öland, where people line up for hours to greet the Crown Princess, her family, the King and Queen. King Carl XVI leads the cheers and wishes of happy birthday to his eldest child before she greets the public and accepts gifts like drawings and flowers.

The Crown Princess’s husband, Prince Daniel, and their two children, Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar, join Victoria on the walkabout and thank the crowds for gathering in her honour.

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Later in the evening, the Royal Family attends the Victoriadagen concert with various artists that is broadcast live on television at Borgholm Castle. It also serves as a fundraising appeal for the Crown Princess Victoria Fund.

Before the conclusion of the concert, Crown Princess Victoria presents the Victoria Award for the selected Swedish athlete who has excelled and promoted Sweden on the national and international stage over the past year. Previous winners include National Hockey League players Peter Forsberg, Henrik and Daniel Sedin, and Henrik Lundqvist. Olympians Armand Duplantis, Charlotte Kalla, Therese Alshammar and Gunde Svan.