Horace Phillips (diplomat)
Encyclopedia
Sir Horace Phillips, KCMG
(May 31, 1917, Glasgow
, Scotland
- March 19, 2004) was a British diplomat
.
After seven years in the Army in the second World War, he served in a number of postings in East Africa
, the Middle East
, and Indonesia
from 1947 though 1977, the year he retired. He enjoyed a second career of ten years as resident representative of a major British engineering company afterwards. Famously, he was declared a persona non grata
as the British ambassador to Saudi Arabia
in 1968 because he was of Jewish ancestry. Though it was widely reported in the media at the time that he was an "ex-Jew" or "non-practising Jew", he was in fact a member of a synagogue
, and a religious Jew throughout his life.
In 1974, he was the British Ambassador to Turkey when Turkish military invaded Cyprus. He later returned to Turkey, where he had served for four and a half years as a diplomat (from 1972 to 1977), by joining the International Relations of Bilkent University
in Ankara
, lecturing until 1997, latterly on the history of diplomacy.
He was married to Idina, Lady Phillips for over 60 years. They had two children and four grown-up grandchildren, one of whom is the BBC Correspondent Luisa Baldini.
He authored the book "Ihsan Dogramaci
: A Remarkable Turk" in 1997.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(May 31, 1917, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
- March 19, 2004) was a British diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
.
After seven years in the Army in the second World War, he served in a number of postings in East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
, the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, and Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
from 1947 though 1977, the year he retired. He enjoyed a second career of ten years as resident representative of a major British engineering company afterwards. Famously, he was declared a persona non grata
Persona non grata
Persona non grata , literally meaning "an unwelcome person", is a legal term used in diplomacy that indicates a proscription against a person entering the country...
as the British ambassador to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
in 1968 because he was of Jewish ancestry. Though it was widely reported in the media at the time that he was an "ex-Jew" or "non-practising Jew", he was in fact a member of a synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
, and a religious Jew throughout his life.
In 1974, he was the British Ambassador to Turkey when Turkish military invaded Cyprus. He later returned to Turkey, where he had served for four and a half years as a diplomat (from 1972 to 1977), by joining the International Relations of Bilkent University
Bilkent University
İhsan Doğramacı Bilkent University, commonly referred to as Bilkent University or Bilkent, is the first private, nonprofit university in Turkey with the fundamental aim of creating a center of excellence in higher education and research...
in Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
, lecturing until 1997, latterly on the history of diplomacy.
He was married to Idina, Lady Phillips for over 60 years. They had two children and four grown-up grandchildren, one of whom is the BBC Correspondent Luisa Baldini.
He authored the book "Ihsan Dogramaci
Ihsan Dogramaci
Professor İhsan Doğramacı was a Turkish paediatrician, entrepreneur, philanthropist, educationalist and college administrator of Iraqi Turkmen descent born in Arbil, Iraq, then Ottoman Empire....
: A Remarkable Turk" in 1997.