Jonathan Knott

Former British ambassador to Hungary, Budapest

Part of UK in Hungary

11th November 2014 Budapest, Hungary

Remembrance Day 2014

888,246 hand-made ceramic poppies have been installed at the foot of the Tower in London - each representing a British and Commonwealth soldier who died during WW1

I’ve blogged before about Remembrance Day: the day when we in the UK remember those who have died defending our country and our values.  Every year at this time we honour and remember them and their sacrifice.

But this year our commemoration has been particularly poignant since 2014 is the centenary of the start of the first World War.  In London this was marked with a remarkable display of ceramic poppies, placed around the Tower of London.

888,246 hand-made ceramic poppies have been installed at the foot of the Tower in London - each representing a British and Commonwealth soldier who died during WW1
888,246 hand-made ceramic poppies have been installed at the foot of the Tower in London – each representing a British and Commonwealth soldier who died during WW1

One for every British soldier who fell in WW1 as well as by the traditional ceremony on Sunday at the Cenotaph where Her Majesty the Queen leads the ceremony.

The Queen attends the National Service of Remembrance at The Cenotaph in London Photo @British Monarchy
The Queen attends the National Service of Remembrance at The Cenotaph in London Photo @British Monarchy

Here in Budapest (or rather at the Solymár war cemetery) we also held a special remembrance commemoration service.  On the beautiful autumnal Sunday morning, with leaves falling gently from the trees,  we welcomed Hungarian Defence Minister Csaba Hende to share the occasion with us.

IMG_0397 (1)
(L-R) HE Mr Jonathan Knott, Ambassador, Embassy of the United Kingdom; HE Dr Csaba Hende, Minister, Ministry of Defence, Hungary; HE Mr Roman Kowalski, Ambassador, Embassy of the Republic of Poland; HE Mr Johan Indekeu, Ambassador, Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium, and Mr Jan Kurdzialek, Military Attaché, Poland
HE Mr Johan Marx, Ambassador, Embassy of the Republic of South Africa; HE Ms Lisa Helfand, Ambassador, Embassy of Canada; Mr David Jonathon Lewis, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Australia; Mr Azeem Khan, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan; and Mr Rezső Gyula Sárdi, Honorary Consul, Honorary Consulate of New Zealand
(L-R) HE Mr Johan Marx, Ambassador, Embassy of the Republic of South Africa; HE Ms Lisa Helfand, Ambassador, Embassy of Canada; Mr David Jonathon Lewis, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Australia; Mr Azeem Khan, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan; and Mr Rezső Gyula Sárdi, Honorary Consul, Honorary Consulate of New Zealand

The Minister was kind enough to share a few thoughts with us at the ceremony, pointing out that while our countries may have fought on different sides, we shared common values and common debts to those who died for us.  His participation, together with the readings which the South African and Belgian Ambassadors made really brought home the universality of the occasion.  And spending time among the graves reminded me how important it is that as we run from one task to another in our daily lives, occasionally we should take the time to reflect on how we got here.  And how others have made our world possible.

Lest we forget.

Photos of the ceremony are available on Flickr

About Jonathan Knott

Jonathan Knott was appointed Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Hungary in March 2011 and arrived in Budapest in February 2012 to take up his post. He left this post on April…

Jonathan Knott was appointed Her Majesty’s Ambassador to
Hungary in March 2011 and arrived in Budapest in February 2012 to take
up his post. He left this post on April 2015.
He has previously held a variety of diplomatic posts at home and
abroad, several with a particular focus on commercial and corporate
finance issues. Jonathan has served in a number of positions in the
British Diplomatic Service since joining in 1988:
Before his appointment was Deputy Head of Mission and Director for Trade and Investment in South Korea from 2008 to 2011.Between 2005 and 2008 he held the post of Deputy Finance Director in the FCO.From 2000 to 2005 he served as First Secretary (Trade, Corporate Affairs and Finance Negotiator) in UKDel OECD Paris.From 1996 to 2000 he was First Secretary (Head of Political/Economic/Aid Section) in Mexico.From 1995 to 1996 he worked in the FCO as Deputy European Correspondent at the EU Directorate.Between 1991 and 1995 he served as Third later Second Secretary (Political / Press and Public Affairs) in Havana.From 1990 to 1991 he was Desk Officer in the FCO’s First Gulf War Emergency Unit.Between 1988 and 1990 he worked as Desk Officer in the FCO in the Anti Drugs Cooperation Department.
Jonathan holds an MA in law from Oxford University, and he is a
member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. He speaks
English, French, Spanish and Hungarian. He is married to Angela Susan
Knott and has one daughter and two sons.

Follow Jonathan

Tags

#WWI Annual Remembrance Service 2014 HMA Jonathan Knott Remembrance Day

Links