A century ago, in 1918, the diplomatic service of the future Second Polish Republic saw its beginnings. Commander-in-Chief Józef Piłsudski dispatched a diplomatic letter to all countries informing them that Poland was to enter the international arena as an independent state. London was one of the cities, where it was important for the diplomatic relations to be renewed. The British were among the first to send their cordial support for the newly re-established country and in July 1919 the diplomatic relations between the UK and Poland were officially renewed.

The friendship formed between the two nations hasspread and flourished through the theatre of World War II, the time of the communist regime in Poland, the peaceful revolution of 1989 and the fall of the Eastern Block, and into the present day. All these important moments for both Poland and the United Kingdom are presented in the exhibition. Those viewing it will be able to see such events as British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Prime Minister of the Polish Government-in-Exhile General Władysław Sikorski signing the Polish-British military agreement in 1940, the ceremony of the bequeathing of the seal of the President of the Republic of Poland at the Royal Castle in Warsaw in 1989,  Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II making a speech in the Polish Parliament during her visit in 1996, and some more recent photographs from the visit of Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Poland in 2017 as well as Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Prime Minister Theresa May in Lancaster House during the intergovernmental consultations in London in 2018.

Speaking about the exhibition, Polish Ambassador Arkady Rzegocki said: “It has been my privilege to see the relations between our two countries develop strongly and take different forms, including the intergovernmental consultations initiated in 2016 and the Quadriga meetings of the ministers of foreign affairs and defence of both countries. Furthermore, in 2017, the Belvedere Forum was launched as a platform designed to strengthen the relations between Polish and British civil societies. I strongly encourage everyone to visit the exhibition and revisit the legacy which our two countries share. May our common history continue to teach and inspire us to strengthen our relationship and build our common future.”

The exhibition ‘UK-Poland Relations: One Hundred Years On’ will be on display on the fence of the Polish Embassy (47 Portland Place, W1B 1JH London) from Tuesday, 19th November until Tuesday, 31st December 2019. Tomorrow, the exhibition will be available to view also in Warsaw. The photographs will be displayed on the fence of the Royal Baths Park, opposite to the Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland at Ujazdów Avenue.