Home | First lady | Activities of Silvia Gašparovičová | Year 2008 | Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. on an official visit to Slovakia
President Ivan Gašparovič together with his spouse welcomed on 23 October 2008 in the Presidential Palace in Bratislava a rare visit – Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II. with her husband Philip. It’s the first time ever when they traveled to Slovakia reigning British monarchy. This visit is according to Ivan Gašparovič one of the highest ones for Slovakia in the era of slovak autonomy. "Between the United Kingdom and Slovakia is especially a lot of leg, which we can be proud of, but, however, we have to constantly nurture our relationships."
Education, training or tradition - also this interested the British Monarch in talks with the President Ivan Gašparovič and Mrs. Silvia Gašparovičová. "Our conversation was rather a look into history – on some common points in the distant past, but also on very close to history," he said.
In the afternoon Queen Elizabeth II. and Prince Philip, as well as the presidential couple visited Devín. There the war veterans, who fought alongside the British, already have been waiting for them. Also the compatriot of Queen Elizabeth II. Sir Nicolas Winton "with his children" was waiting. It was him who just before beginning of World War II. saved more than 600 Jewish children from Czechoslovakia and Austria by organizing their transfer to Britain. At the confluence of the Danube and Morava river in Devín the Queen has revealed a memorial to the victims of the totalitarian regime in Slovakia called "Iron Curtain". It symbolizes the wall between freedom and totalitarianism, where several attempts to escape form the former regime to the West began.
Queen Elizabeth II. will take with her from Slovakia the precious gifts that gave her the Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič together with his spouse. A personal gifts prepared also Mrs. Silvia Gašparovičová. As stated, "this is a very rare work of art. It is a glass jewel case, which is decorated with platinum, gold, glass and crystal. Relief at the top of the case themed the Bratislava Castle."
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