Queen Silvia is already on Sunday in Rome, but tomorrow she gets an audience with Pope Francis in Vatican City. It will be a special trip when the Queen has with her a part of the family - Madeleine, Chris and Leonore. Chris O'Neill, who usually doesn't participate in the royal program to any great extent now had a gap in his schedule and comes to the Vatican. Madeleine and Chris come directly from a week's holiday in London at Chris's mother Eva and also bring their daughter Leonore.
- It will be extremely interesting and instructive to get there on this trip, says the Queen.
The main purpose of the trip is a seminar on trafficking in human beings, and especially with children - a subject that touches the queen much:
- Trafficking is a terrible and serious problem. It is increasing and we need to open our eyes to this. There are now official figures of over 1.2 million children in trafficking. It is unpleasant. Moreover, this is probably not the right number. There are probably many unreported.
Silvia pays tribute to the Pope for the meeting:
- I think this seminar is a fantastic initiative by the pope. It is important to grasp this problem and get more people to realize it. That is why that the pope does it so extremely important.
How will it be to meet with the Pope?
- Interesting. We have many topics to talk about, but above all this human trafficking. I am looking forward to this. So does the princess and the rest of the family.
The Queen is well aware of the great "anti-terrorism" operations that the Italian police have carried out in Rome against an armed organization to have been inspired by the terrorist network al-Qaeda. According to the Italian police, they have planned an attack on the Vatican in 2010.
Is the Queen worried before the trip to the Vatican?
- I follow the developments and we will discuss it at home.
Margareta Thorgren from the press department:
- The travel plans of Queen and the Princess have not changed in view of what has taken place in Rome. They shall as planned attend the seminar and meet with the Pope on Monday.
Kors i taket, Leonore följer med till påven _ Nyheter _ Expressen
Translation