HM The King's speech at the reopening of The Bernadotte museum
Pau, France
(The spoken version shall take precedence)
Your Majesty,
Your Royal Highnesses,
Mr. Mayor,
Excellences,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great honour to be here today for the reopening of the Musée Bernadotte.
I sincerely believe that knowing our past makes us better equipped to understand the present.
My ancestor, Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, was born in this house. As an adult, he would be known as King Karl XIV Johan.
This son of Pau became a driving force in the foundation of modern Sweden. A work in which he greatly benefited from knowledge and experience gained in the service of his birth country.
Renovating this museum is an important effort to preserve – and bring to life – a part of the history that connects France and Sweden.
This day marks the end of an extensive project. But, as I am very pleased to see, it is also a starting point for further strengthening the ties between our countries.
It is my hope that the Musée Bernadotte will be a meeting place for Swedish and French culture.
Ladies and gentlemen: Great efforts have gone into making this renovation possible. As a descendant of Jean Baptiste Bernadotte, I would like to express my gratitude to all those who have contributed.
As a token of my appreciation, I will now present Mayor Bayrou with a copy of my ancestor’s adoption certificate.
I hereby declare the Musée Bernadotte reopened!
