Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria starts officer training

COPENHAGEN — Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria will start a special officer training later this year to deepen her military training, the Royal Court said on Thursday.

The training is part of preparations for her future role as head of state, the court said in a statement.

"The Crown Princess will during autumn 2024 begin special officer training to acquire a deeper understanding of tactics, military science and military strategy," it said, adding that the training includes both theory and practice.

Victoria, 46, is the eldest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. In 1980, she was made crown princess when Sweden became the first country to adopt absolute primogeniture, meaning that the eldest child of the monarch shall be first in line of succession, regardless of their gender. Her younger brother Carl Philip had been crown prince when he was born until he was seven months old, when the law went into effect.

Sweden joined western military alliance NATO in March, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine forced it to rethink its national security policy. — Reuters