Future Queen of Sweden more popular than her father the King, research reveals

The daughter of Sweden's King is currently more popular than her father, new research has found.Crown Princess Victoria has "twice the popularity" of King Carl XVI Gustaf, who is Europe's longest-serving monarch and the longest-reigning monarch in Sweden's history.The 47-year-old future Queen could also be behind a newfound trust among regular Swedes and their royal family, which suffered its lowest point more than a decade ago.READ MORE: Europe's stylist royals pose for a selfie at Paris Fashion Week"It's looking good for Crown Princess Victoria," Daniel Jansson, of the SOM Institute, a research organisation based at the University of Gothenburg, said."Victoria is the most-popular public person that we have ever studied in Sweden."Jansson made the comments on the podcast It's Reigning Men, which looks at the current and future Kings around the world.King Carl XVI Gustaf is the subject of episode two and explores the monarch's relationship with his people and that of his daughter, and heir."She has twice the popularity of the King," Jansson told the podcast."It's looking good for the royal family once she takes the throne."READ MORE: Prince William plunges hands into a bucket of worms during farm visitCrown Princess Victoria's popularity likely stems from her dedication to royal duties – she's been a key figure at public events since her teenage years.She is also a key figure at world events attended by royalty including the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz this week and in 2023 Crown Princess Victoria accompanied her father to the coronation of King Charles III in Britain.She and husband Prince Daniel have also been slowly introducing their children, Princess Estelle, 12, and Prince Oscar, eight, to public life and the young family are regularly seen throughout the year.But King Carl XVI Gustaf, 78, has ruled out abdicating in favour of his daughter and will not follow the lead of Sweden's neighbour, Denmark's Queen Margrethe II who stepped down in 2024 for her son, the now King Frederik X.Sweden's King celebrated 50 years on the throne in 2023 and the Jubilee saw a boost to the overall trust in the royal family, following a low period in 2010.In 2010, a controversial biography on the monarch claimed King had visited strip clubs run by underworld figures and had an affair in the 1990s.READ MORE: How 2025 could be a defining year for Monaco's Princess CharleneThe book Carl XVI Gustaf, the Reluctant Monarch, written by journalists Thomas Sjoeberg, Deanne Rauscher and Tove Meyer, broke a long-standing tradition by Swedish media not to print intimate details about the King's private life.Speaking to the media soon after its publication, the King told reporters the book's claims dealt with events that had taken place "far back in time" and that his family had "turned the page."He appealed to journalists to leave the royal family in peace "because we have certain duties to fulfil".However, the King never denied the partying claims and the Swedish royal family did not take legal action over the allegations.In the years since, the trust in the royal family has been slowly increasing with 45 per cent of Swedes saying they do have trust in the monarchy, 21 per cent say they don't, while 34 per cent don't have an opinion.Elsewhere on the podcast filmmaker Karin af Klintberg recalled interviewing the monarch for the documentary The King which coincided with his Golden Jubilee.He became King in 1973 when his grandfather, King Gustaf VI Adolf, died aged 90 following a 23-year reign.The throne when straight to Carl XVI Gustaf – who was 27 – because his father, Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf, was killed in a plane crash in 1947 in Denmark. He was just nine-months old when his father died.Speaking on the podcast, Klintberg said she was given unprecedented access to the King for the documentary.But there was one question she asked that took the monarch by surprise.She said: "I asked him: 'If you weren't the king, what would you like to do?'"And he was not angry, but he said: 'That's beneath me. I will not answer that. That's a none question, a non issue. Because I am the king'."Klintberg said she continues to get angry feedback from Swedes who believe her question to the monarch was disrespectful.FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.