Poland Remembers First Lady Maria Kaczyńska

The casket containing the body of Poland’s first lady, Maria Kaczyńska, arrived back to Poland Tuesday and will be carried to the Presidential Palace.

The first lady and her husband, the late President Lech Kaczyński, died Saturday along with 94 other officials, military leaders and other dignitaries near Smolensk, Russia, when their government plane crashed short of the runway.

The body of the late president was returned to Warsaw on Sunday in a long and solemn procession from the airport to the palace. Hundreds of thousands of Poles lined roadsides and tossed flowers onto the passing procession in an outpouring of public grief not seen since the passing of the country’s beloved pontiff, John Paul II.

Mrs. Kaczyńska is being remembered for her steadfast loyalty and love of the president and for her work with visiting dignitaries and many works in support of charitable organisations.

Overnight Monday, the family has expressed interest in having the late president and his wife buried on Wawel hill in Krakow, the burial site reserved for Poland’s kings. The authorities at Wawel pledged to work with the government to decide upon a proper site.


See also: Polish Tragedy in Smolensk: Key events, news updates, list of victims

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