Eva Pavlová and Petr Pavel, Photo: René Volfík, Czech Radio
On Thursday, Czechia will welcome a new First Lady to Prague Castle – Eva Pavlová. But who is she? And what role does the First Lady play in Czech politics and public life?
Some Czech First Ladies have been very active in the public sphere. Charlotte Garrigue, the wife of the first Czechoslovak president, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, was a vocal supporter of women’s issues, and advocated for equal voting rights for women to be enshrined in the fledgling state’s Constitution.
Her oldest daughter Alice, who took over the role of First Lady when Charlotte became too ill to continue with public life, founded the Czechoslovak Red Cross, which she led for twenty years.
Other First Ladies have continued the tradition of being involved in charitable activities, including both the first and second wives of Václav Havel. Olga Havlová and Dagmar Havlová each set up their own charitable foundations to help the disadvantaged.
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Author: Anna Fodor