France and Poland, a special relationship
A Polish queen of France, a French king of Poland… Over the centuries, the two countries have developed a special relationship: never at war with each other, they frequently fought side by side.
Over the centuries, France and Poland have developed a special relationship: Edwige d’Anjou was Queen of Poland in 1384, Henri de Valois was King of Poland in 1577 before becoming King of France, and Maria Leszczyńska was Queen of France in 1725. The two countries have never gone to war against each other, but have frequently fought side by side.
Poland’s troubled history has often forced its inhabitants to leave their country. Sometimes fate would separate them from their homeland permanently but, in most cases, this separation was purely physical. The strong spiritual bond with the land of their ancestors is such that they never forget their roots.
France, seen as the cradle of knowledge, the home of the Enlightenment and human rights, was one of the preferred destinations for this emigration. The Polish elite, who spoke French and were generally fans of French culture, held the values and principles of the French Revolution (1789), which had reached Poland through the Napoleonic campaigns, in high esteem.