Sir Bernard Ledwidge (9 November 1915 – 20 February 1998) was a British diplomat and writer. Ledwidge served as the British Ambassador to Finland from 1969 to 1972 and the

British Ambassador to Israel The Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Israel is the United Kingdom's foremost diplomatic representative in Israel, and in charge of the UK's diplomatic mission in Israel. The official title is ''His Britannic Majesty's Ambassador to the State ...

from 1972 to 1975. Ledwidge also served as the Chairman of the United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF from 1976 to 1989.

Early life

William Bernard John Ledwidge was born on 9 November 1915 in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

to Charles Ledwidge and Eileen O'Sullivan. Ledwidge was educated at Cardinal Vaughan School, a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

day school in Holland Park, London. Ledwidge also attended

King's College, Cambridge King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Formally The King's College of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge, the college lies beside the River Cam and faces out onto King's Parade in the centre of the cit ...

and

Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...

. Ledwidge spent time as a Commonwealth Fund Fellow from 1937 to 1939.

Career

Ledwidge joined the India Office in 1939 as an Assistant Principal.

Military service

Ledwidge fought in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, joining the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

in 1940. He then joined the Indian Army in 1941, where he served until the end of the war in 1945. Ledwidge was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 1964.

Diplomatic career

Ledwidge pursued a career in

international diplomacy Diplomacy comprises spoken or written communication by representatives of states (such as leaders and diplomats) intended to influence events in the international system.Ronald Peter Barston, ''Modern diplomacy'', Pearson Education, 2006, p. 1 ...

. He worked as a diplomat in the United states, in Afghanistan and in Berlin. In 1966, he was appointed Minister at the British Embassy in Paris. He remained in this position until 1969.

Ambassador to Finland

Ledwidge was appointed the British Ambassador to

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

in 1969, succeeding Sir David Scott Fox. Upon leaving this appointment in 1972, Ledwidge is reported to have said "it could plausibly be argued that it is a misfortune for anybody but a Finn to spend three years in Finland, as I have just done".

Ambassador to Israel

Ledwidge was appointed the British Ambassador to

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

in 1972, succeeding Anthony Elliott. Ledwidge was raised to a Knight of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in 1974. On 15 June 1975, the Israeli Foreign Minister,

Yigal Allon Yigal Allon ( he, יגאל אלון; 10 October 1918 – 29 February 1980) was an Israeli politician, commander of the Palmach, and general in the Israel Defense Forces, IDF. He served as one of the leaders of Ahdut HaAvoda party and the Labor P ...

, summoned Ledwidge to raise concern over reports of impending Anglo-Egyptian arms deals. Ledwidge left this appointment in 1975. Ledwidge was the Chairman of the United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF from 1976 to 1989.

Writing

Ledwidge published his first book, a novel based on his experience in India, called "Frontiers" in 1979. In 1983, he published a biography of Charles de Gaulle. Critics noted the author's admiration for the French statesman. A French translation of this book was published the following year.

Death

Ledwidge died on 20 February 1998 in London, United Kingdom.

Personal life

Ledwidge married his first wife, Anne Kingsley, in 1948. They had two children together, a son and a daughter. The marriage was dissolved in 1970. Ledwidge married his second wife, Flora Groult, in 1970. Ledwidge was a member of the

Travellers Club The Travellers Club is a private gentlemen's club situated at 106 Pall Mall in London, United Kingdom. It is the oldest of the surviving Pall Mall clubs and one of the most exclusive, having been established in 1819. It was described as "the ...

and the

Marylebone Cricket Club Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) is a cricket club founded in 1787 and based since 1814 at Lord's Cricket Ground, which it owns, in St John's Wood, London. The club was formerly the governing body of cricket retaining considerable global influence ...

. Ledwidge spoke French.

Honours

Publications

References

External links

* 1915 births 1998 deaths British diplomats Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Finland Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Israel British Army personnel of World War II Royal Artillery personnel British Indian Army personnel Military personnel from London {{DEFAULTSORT:Ledwidge, Bernard