Avatar photo

Nigel Baker

Ambassador to the Holy See (2011-2016)

Part of UK in Holy See

5th May 2015

Remembrance

VE Day Celebrations in London, 8 May 1945
VE Day Celebrations in London, 8 May 1945
VE Day Celebrations in London, 8 May 1945. Picture: Imperial War Museum, HU 41808.

It is rather poignant that the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day – 8 May 1945, the day that World War II in Europe officially ended – falls the day after the British General Election. It reminds us of the fundamental reason why Britain went to war in 1939, reluctantly but determinedly; to keep the world safe for democracy.

Neither the celebration then nor the commemoration today echo triumphalism. The dominant feelings in May 1945 were relief, euphoria and reflection. We had come out of the darkest of periods bowed, bloodied but unbroken. Much hard work lay ahead of us to rebuild a shattered Europe. Seventy years on, we remember the sacrifice of millions who played their part – including many brave men and women of faith – and celebrate the subsequent peace and reconciliation between foes.

Churches and prayer will play a central role in the three days of events commemorating VE Day. A service of remembrance will be held at The Cenotaph on Friday 8 May. On Saturday 9 May, around 11am UK time, churches and cathedrals will ring their bells as they did in 1945 to celebrate the end of the war – you may like to hear the BBC 1945 archive audio at gov.uk/veday70, in which cathedral bells and drums beat out the Morse code for “V” for Victory. And on Sunday 10 May, Westminster Abbey will host a service of thanksgiving, attended by veterans and their families, members of the Royal Family, representatives of allied nations and Commonwealth countries who fought alongside Britain, as well as diplomatic representatives of other countries.

We take many things for granted, including democracy. The right of the individual to elect his or her government is hard won. Later this year we commemorate 800 years since Magna Carta, traditionally seen as one of first steps leading towards modern representative democracy. The 70th anniversary of VE Day reminds us that an understanding of our common history is part of the vital glue that binds us as peoples and as nations.

1 comment on “Remembrance”

  1. NOT FOR PUBLICATION:

    Ambassador,

    a) Thank you for this post. My father would have loved it.

    b) I read today in another media outlet about a conference on women in the Church sponsored by four embassies on 28 April (one of them was yours). The article didn’t include any details however. Would you consider including the main points of the conference and conclusions in one of your next blogs. I‘d love to read about it.

    Thank you.

Comments are closed.

About Nigel Baker

Nigel was British Ambassador to the Holy See from 2011-2016. He presented his Credentials to Pope Benedict XVI on 9 September 2011, after serving 8 years in Latin America, as…

Nigel was British Ambassador to the Holy See from 2011-2016. He presented his Credentials to Pope Benedict XVI on 9 September 2011, after serving 8 years in Latin America, as Deputy Head of Mission in the British Embassy in Havana, Cuba (2003-6) and then as British Ambassador in La Paz, Bolivia (2007-11). In July 2016, Nigel finished his posting, and is currently back in London.

As the first British Ambassador to the Holy See ever to have a blog, Nigel provided a regular window on what the Embassy and the Ambassador does. The blogs covered a wide range of issues, from Royal and Ministerial visits to Diplomacy and Faith, freedom of religion, human trafficking and climate change.

More on Nigel’s career

Nigel was based in London between 1998 and 2003. He spent two years on European Union issues (for the UK 1998 EU Presidency and on European Security and Defence questions), before crossing St James’s Park to work for three years as The Assistant Private Secretary to His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. At St James’s Palace, Nigel worked on international issues, including the management of The Prince of Wales’s overseas visits and tours, on the Commonwealth, interfaith issues, the arts and international development.

Nigel spent much of the early part of his FCO career in Central Europe, after an initial stint as Desk Officer for the Maghreb countries in the Near East and North Africa department (1990-91). Between 1992 and 1996, Nigel served in the British embassies in Prague and Bratislava, the latter being created in 1993 after the peaceful division of Czechoslovakia into the separate Czech and Slovak Republics.

Nigel joined the FCO (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) in September 1989. Between 1996 and 1998 he took a two year academic sabbatical to research and write about themes in 18th century European history, being based in Verona but also researching in Cambridge, Paris and Naples. The research followed from Nigel’s time as a student at Cambridge (1985-88) where he read history and was awarded a First Class Honours degree, followed by his MA in 1992.

Before joining the Foreign Office, Nigel worked briefly for the Conservative Research Department in London at the time of the 1989 European election campaign.

Nigel married Alexandra (Sasha) in 1997. They have one son, Benjamin, born in Bolivia in September 2008.

Follow Nigel

Tags

"nigel baker" "uk ambassador blog" britain Commonwealth europe remembrance uk VE Day victory world war II WWII

Links