Marta Nawrocka met with Queen Silvia of Sweden

On 10 March in Warsaw, the First Lady of Poland, Marta Nawrocka, met with Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden. The meeting took place during the state visit of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden to Poland — the first such visit in 15 years. This event aimed to reaffirm the strategic nature of Polish–Swedish relations and to strengthen cooperation in the fields of security, the economy, and regional engagement in the Baltic region.

During the three-day visit, a separate programme was organised for the First Lady and Her Majesty. They visited the Grand Theatre – National Opera, one of Poland’s key cultural institutions, which combines historical heritage with contemporary performing arts.

The guests were introduced to the work of the theatre’s workshops, where costumes for opera and ballet productions are created. They also attended a presentation of the stage design for the opera The Passenger by composer Mieczysław Weinberg. Inspired by the novel of the same name by Zofia Posmysz, a survivor of a Nazi concentration camp, the work reflects on memory and the trauma of the Holocaust, giving it particular significance in the European cultural context.

In addition, Marta Nawrocka and Queen Silvia attended a rehearsal of the ballet La Bayadère — a classical work that combines a romantic narrative with virtuosic choreography.

Another important part of the programme was a visit to the Children’s Support Centre in Gdańsk — a place where children who have experienced violence, including sexual abuse, can receive specialised, comprehensive assistance “under one roof”. The centre operates on an interdisciplinary model, bringing together psychologists, legal professionals, and social workers to provide holistic support to both children and their families.

This model has an international origin: the first such centre was established in the United States in 1985, and was later adapted in Europe, notably in Iceland under the name Barnahus (“children’s house”), before spreading across the Nordic countries. In Poland, such centres have been developing since 2004, with the Gdańsk centre opening in 2019.

Both Mrs Nawrocka and Queen Silvia place strong emphasis on the challenges related to the protection of children’s rights. They have also taken part in activities of the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen Global Platform: the First Lady of Poland recorded a video address for the Fifth Summit, dedicated to the theme ‘Education Shaping the World’, while Her Majesty participated in the Third Summit on ‘Mental Health: Fragility and Resilience of the Future’ and sent letters of support on the occasions of the Fourth and Fifth Summits.