The city of Heidelberg appoints Queen Silvia of Sweden as an honorary citizen because of her diverse social commitment. Mayor Eckart Würzner (independent) will present the Heidelberg native with the city’s highest award at a ceremony on May 26th.
The 79-year-old has been working for her fellow human beings for decades, according to a statement from the city on Wednesday evening.
With the World Childhood Foundation she founded, she stands up for children with extraordinary commitment and a lot of heart – in Germany, Sweden and worldwide. “This makes Queen Silvia of Sweden an outstanding international ambassador for her hometown of Heidelberg,” said the municipality.
King Carl XVI’s wife Gustaf set up the foundation in 1999, under whose patronage the “Childhood Houses” stand. These are contact points for abused children, where they are medically examined, psychologically cared for or questioned in a safe atmosphere via video. This saves them from having to go to different authorities and having to describe their torment multiple times. The mother of three opened such an institution in Heidelberg in 2019. Among other things, the Queen has been supporting people with dementia and disabled sports for years.