He's in line to be the first man ever to hold a certain royal role in his country and as he marked his birthday, all eyes were on him. And that was the moment that Prince Daniel of Sweden chose to make a statement and it brought back memories of Diana.
Sweden's royals love a birthday portrait. While some royal houses use them for milestone moments or keep them just to the most senior members of the dynasty, Sweden churns them out quite merrily and is probably all the better for it. There's never a row about who will or won't get the birthday photo treatment. Everyone is expected to smile for the camera just before they blow out their candles and so Daniel was ready for his close up. And he went for it in his own way.
Daniel is in a pretty special position. He is married to the heir to the throne, Crown Princess Victoria, who as well as being the first woman in line to reign in Sweden for centuries is also hugely popular. The prince will also be the first man to act as royal consort to a Swedish monarch so he gets a fair bit of attention. And that's where the Diana comparison comes in. For his birthday, he chose to wear a T shirt covered in the slogan of Generation Pep, the healthy living organisation that he and Victoria helped found and which they constantly support. And it had all the memories of how Diana would make sure a moment when everyone really wanted her photo was used to support a cause that mattered to her.
Daniel had just taken part in the annual Pep Day which sees young people come together to enjoy healthy living and activities. But instead of putting that to one side and choosing another photo of himself in a jacket and tie, he used the moment to make sure everyone was aware of his message. Should royals campaign? Well, yes, when it's something worth campaigning on. Daniel saw the moment, realised it would work and took it. That's absolutely what you call a statement tee and it was ever so slightly Diana.
No comments:
Post a Comment