THE PRINCE OF WALES AND THE DUCHESS OF CORNWALL RECENTLY LANDED IN A CHILLY WARSAW AT THE BEGINNING OF AN EIGHT-DAY TOUR OF EASTERN EUROPE. THE ROYAL COUPLE WILL BE SPENDING THREE DAYS IN POLAND BEFORE MOVING ON TO HUNGARY AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC. HAVING LEFT LONDON ON THE WARMEST DAY OF THE YEAR SO FAR, THE PRINCE AND THE COUNTESS HAD TO BRAVE FREEZING CONDITIONS IN THE POLISH CAPITAL, WHICH HAD HEAVY SNOWFALLS OVERNIGHT. THE DUCHESS WAS WEARING A PAISLEY SILK DRESS AND RASPBERRY COLOURED COAT, BOTH FROM ANNA VALENTINE. AFTER BEING WELCOMED AT THE AIRPORT BY RIC TODD, THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO WARSAW, THE ROYAL COUPLE WERE DUE TO MEET PRESIDENT LECH KACZYNSKI BEFORE PAYING THEIR RESPECTS AT THE GRAVE OF FATHER JERZY POPIELUSZKO, THE CATHOLIC PRIEST WHOSE MURDER AT THE HANDS OF THE POLISH SECRET POLICE IN 1984 WAS ONE OF THE CATALYSTS FOR THE FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL. FATHER POPIELUSZKO, WHO WILL BE BEATIFIED BY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH LATER THIS YEAR, HELPED GALVANIZE THE SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT BY SPEAKING OUT AGAINST THE COMMUNIST REGIME. HIS DEATH LED TO AN UNPRECEDENTED PUBLIC SHOW OF DEFIANCE AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT, WITH OVER 500,000 PEOPLE TAKING TO THE STREETS FOR HIS FUNERAL, A MOMENT WHICH IS WIDELY ACKNOWLEDGED BY HISTORIANS AS THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF COMMUNISM IN POLAND. THE TOUR HAS BEEN ARRANGED BY THE FOREIGN OFFICE TO STRENGTHEN BRITAIN'S TIES WITH EASTERN EUROPE, WHICH HAS IMPORTANT TRADE AND MILITARY LINKS WITH THE UK. POLAND IS ONE OF THE 20 LARGEST EXPORT MARKETS FOR THE UK, AS WELL AS BEING THE SEVENTH BIGGEST CONTRIBUTOR OF TROOPS TO THE NATO-LED MISSION IN AFGHANISTAN, WHERE 3,000 POLISH SOLDIERS ARE CURRENTLY SERVING. THE ROYAL VISIT WILL ALSO INCLUDE A VISIT TO A POLISH MILITARY BASE, WHERE THE PRINCE AND DUCHESS WILL MEET POLISH SOLDIERS AND THEIR FAMILIES. TODD SAID THAT AS WELL AS PROMOTING BRITAIN IN POLAND, HE HOPED THE ROYAL VISIT WOULD HELP BREAK DOWN THE OFTEN STEREOTYPICAL VIEW OF POLES AND ENCOURAGE BRITISH PEOPLE TO VISIT THE COUNTRY.
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