Farewell!
This year’s Belgian King’s Day was tinged with sadness as guests bid farewell to Ambassador Jan Veranneman de Watervliet and his wife Maria, whose warmth and humour will be greatly missed. The Ambassador also took the opportunity to decorate three Britons who have contributed greatly to British-Belgian ties: Lord Baron Grenfell of Kilvey; former British Ambassador to Belgium David Colvin; and Lord Montgomery of Alamein, son of the famous British Commander-in-Chief with whom the Ambassador’s father fought with during the Normandy landings of World War II. Speaking around the time of Armistice Day, the Ambassador, a keen amateur historian, reminded guests that the residence once served as the seat of Belgium’s government-in-exile and he thanked the people of Britain and the Commonwealth for the huge sacrifices they made for his country’s freedom.