H.M. Konungens tal vid svarsmiddag i samband med statsbesöket i Polen

Her Majesty the Queen and I are very pleased to welcome you to this beautiful castle, which I understand was the residence of the Polish president until the second World War. Long before that, it was also home to members of the Vasa dynasty. It is a great honour to host you all here.

Our relationship is firmly rooted in a shared history. The statue of King Sigismund standing outside the castle is a reminder of this. And Swedish princesses – from Rikissa in the Middle Ages to Anna Vasa – found their lives closely linked with Poland. There were also times when our nations experienced periods of war and rivalry.

However, our common history lives not only in castles and battlefields. It also lives in peoples, ideas and culture:

In the work of Copernicus, which changed the way Europe saw the universe.
In the music of Chopin, cherished in Swedish concert halls.
In the Poles who helped build modern Sweden, and in the Swedes who stood in solidarity with the Polish struggle for freedom.

This common heritage continues to take form in our own time. One example is the artwork Museum by the Polish artist Monika Sosnowska whom we are delighted to have with us here this evening! Her composition was installed last year in the Princess Estelle Sculpture Park in Stockholm. Made from marble fragments of a museum once planned by my ancestor King Karl XIV Johan, it has become a symbol of the living cultural ties between our countries. A reminder that culture, like friendship, is never static, but constantly renewed.

Perhaps it is our shared history that makes our countries so alike.

Poland and Sweden also have long winters and bright summers, vast forests and a shared sea.

When Sweden was hit by major forest fires in 2018, Poland sent 44 fire engines and 139 firefighters. At that time, Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel visited the affected area to thank the Polish firefighters. All of Sweden will remember your contribution with deep gratitude.

And the Baltic Sea, which on a map may appear to separate Poland and Sweden, has always connected us. Its waters have carried merchants, scholars, artists, soldiers, and dreams between our shores. It has never been a border – it has been a bridge.

And that is, I believe, why our friendship feels so natural. It lasts and lives in our shared memories, culture, and human connection.

Mr. President and Madame First Lady,

The past two days have reaffirmed the close ties between our countries and demonstrated how deeply we depend on one another. Tomorrow, Her Majesty the Queen and I look forward to visiting your hometown, Gdańsk, with its close ties to Sweden and its importance for the security of the region.

Tonight, however, we are delighted to share a taste of Sweden with you through food and music. I very much hope you will enjoy the evening.

But first, let us raise our glasses:

To the past that has shaped us.
To the cultural heritage that unites us.
To the people who have carried our friendship across generations.
And to a future in which Poland and Sweden continue to walk side by side, as friends and partners.

Na zdrowie, skål – to friendship!