Lisbon – September 2019. The Minister of Culture of Portugal, Dr Graça Fonseca, sent a message of support to the Portuguese Appeal. This message follows her acceptance to join the Appeal’s Honorary Committee. In the message, the Minister of Culture congratulates the “Portuguese Appeal and her committee for their commitment to this goal of celebrating the common history and strengthening the bonds of friendship that unite our countries”.
The full text reads as follows:
Message from the Minister of Culture of Portugal
As Minister of Culture, I would like to send a message of support and appreciation to the efforts of the Portuguese Appeal, as part of the commemoration of the centenary of the end of World War I and the constant strengthening of the centenary alliance between Portugal and the United Kingdom, founded on the Windsor of 1386.
These initiatives, which are supported by various personalities from both countries, underline the opportunity to erect a statue of King D. Manuel II in Sintra and London’s Richmond district, in honor of a man of culture and learning, but also a symbolic example of the long historical relationship between the Portuguese and British. I also highlight other important projects, such as the restoration of St. James’s Church in Twickenham, where D. Manuel II had a significant impact on the building itself and the local community, and the unveiling of the memorial of the Portuguese soldiers of the First World War.
I therefore congratulate the Portuguese Appeal and its committee for their commitment to this goal of celebrating the common history and strengthening the bonds of friendship that unite our countries.
Graça Fonseca
