King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden has given an audience to the two Speakers of the Belgian Parliament, Stephanie D’Hose and Eliane Tillieux.
D’Hose and Tillieux are on an official visit to Sweden from 5 to 8 December at the invitation of Swedish Speaker Andreas Norlén. They will meet with several government representatives during their visit, including Sweden’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, parliament committees, and the EU Committee.
They will also be at the Riksdag (Swedish parliament), where the Belgian National Memorial Committee will present a plaque as a memorial gift in honour of Folke Bernadotte, the Swedish Red Cross and the white buses operated by Folke Bernadotte during World War II.
Folke Bernadotte, the Count of Wisborg, was the leader of the Swedish Red Cross and a diplomat. He was the son of Prince Oscar of Sweden and nephew of King Gustav V of Sweden. Folke Bernadotte was also a cousin of Queen Astrid of Belgium.
He organised the evacuation of many thousands of prisoners, mainly Danish and Norwegian, from German prisons and concentration camps in the final phase of World War II. Bernadotte said the white buses transported 6,000 Danish and Norwegian released prisoners and 13,000 from other countries to Sweden.
The Swedish and Belgian monarchies have close ties. Belgium’s current monarch, King Philippe, is the grandson of Queen Astrid of Belgium, who was born a Princess of Sweden.