The jabuticaba is a Brazilian fruit that is both sweet and tart, and that works just as well on its own as in jams and juice. I ate it often during my childhood years in São Paulo. Today, we grow it in the Royal green houses in Sweden. To me, it bridges both time and geography – and is a joyous reminder of my Brazilian mother Alice Soares de Toledo and of the love and tenderness I carry for Brazil.

As Queen, I have often returned to Brazil, both alone and with my family. My first official visit was in 1984, together with His Majesty the King. The Swedish-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce has played an important role in many of these visits, such as the State visits in 2010 and 2012, our tour of the spectacular Olympic Games in Rio 2016, and in

2017 when São Paulo hosted both the Brazil-Sweden Business Leaders Forum and the Global Child Forum of South America.

The welfare of children is an issue that is very important to me. In 1999, I founded the World Childhood Foundation which works to protect children from violence and sexual abuse. We provide support to local organizations that are developing new and innovative methods to help vulnerable children and families. I am proud that Childhood’s activities today span the world, with hardworking colleagues at dedicated offices in Sweden, Germany, USA – and Brazil.

During a Childhood event in 2003 in São Paulo, I asked if football legend and since 1958 Sweden-friend Pelé (1940–2022) would like to sit

next to me. He kindly agreed. His charm and humor, and above all his commitment to help Brazil’s youth, left an indelible impression.

Across all these years, I have been a proud witness to how the relations between our countries grow stronger with every year, along with the Swedish business presence in Brazil.

I would also like to the opportunity to mention the Consul General Mr. Erik Svedelius (1909–2009), whose love for Brazil and dedicated work facilitated the continuous good relationships between the two countries. He spent nearly a lifetime in Brazil and was actually the first Swede I met, only three years old, as my father worked for the Swedish company Uddeholm. Thanks to Mr. Svedelius many Swedish

companies were confident to stay in Brazil during difficult years.

As an Honorary Member of the Swedish-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, or “Swedcham” as they say, I would like to congratulate the Chamber on its 70th anniversary and on its successful building of bridges between our two beloved countries.

Thank you all, Swedcham, the Swedish Embassy in Brasilia, FAM (the Wallenberg Foundation) and the Centre for Business History in Stockholm, thank you for producing this very interesting book.