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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Short description|British diplomat and writer (1915–1998)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Bernard Ledwidge
| birth_name = William Bernard John Ledwidge
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1915|11|09|df=y}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1998|02|20|1915|11|09|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[London]], England
| death_place = London, England
| termend = 1975
| successor2 = Anthony Elliott
| predecessor2 = [[David Scott Fox|Sir David Scott Fox]]
| monarch2 = [[Elizabeth II]]
| termend2 = 1972
| termstart2 = 1969
| office2 = [[List of ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Finland|British Ambassador to Finland]]
| predecessor = Sir Ernest John Ward Barnes
| termstart = 1972
| successor = Anthony Elliott
| monarch = [[Elizabeth II]]
| office = [[List of ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Israel|British Ambassador to Israel]]
| alma_mater = [[King's College, Cambridge]]<br>[[Princeton University]]
| honorific_prefix = Sir
| honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|KCMG|size=100%}}
| spouse = {{unbulleted list|Anne Kingsley (1948–1970)|[[Flora Groult]] (1970–)}}
}}

Sir '''Bernard Ledwidge''' {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|KCMG|size=100%}} (9 November 1915 – 20 February 1998) was a British diplomat and writer. Ledwidge served as the [[List of ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Finland|British Ambassador to Finland]] from 1969 to 1972 and the [[List of ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Israel|British Ambassador to Israel]] from 1972 to 1975. Ledwidge also served as the Chairman of the [[UNICEF UK|United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF]] from 1976 to 1989.

== Early life ==
William Bernard John Ledwidge was born on 9 November 1915 in [[London]], [[United Kingdom]] to Charles Ledwidge and Eileen O'Sullivan.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=1 December 2007|title=Ledwidge, Sir (William) Bernard (John)|url=https://doi.org/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U179915|url-status=live|access-date=12 April 2021|website=[[Who's Who (UK)|Who's Who]]|doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U179915}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news|last=Campbell|first=Alan|date=22 October 2011|title=Obituary: Sir Bernard Ledwidge|work=[[The Independent]]|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/obituary-sir-bernard-ledwidge-1147018.html|access-date=12 April 2021}}</ref>

Ledwidge was educated at [[Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School|Cardinal Vaughan School]], a [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] day school in [[Holland Park]], London.<ref name=":0" /> Ledwidge also attended [[King's College, Cambridge]] and [[Princeton University]].<ref name=":0" /> Ledwidge spent time as a [[Harkness Fellowship|Commonwealth Fund Fellow]] from 1937 to 1939.<ref name=":0" />

== Career ==
Ledwidge joined the [[India Office]] in 1939 as an Assistant Principal.

=== Military service ===
Ledwidge fought in the [[World War II|Second World War]], joining the [[Royal Artillery]] in [[India]] in 1940.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> He then joined the Indian Army in 1941, where he served until the end of the war in 1945.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

Ledwidge was appointed a [[Order of St Michael and St George|Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George]] (CMG) in 1964.<ref name=":0" />

=== Diplomatic career ===
Ledwidge pursued a career in [[international diplomacy]]. He worked as a diplomat in the United states, in Afghanistan and in Berlin.<ref name=":1" /> In 1966, he was appointed Minister at the [[Embassy of the United Kingdom, Paris|British Embassy in Paris]]. He remained in this position until 1969.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|last=Hoffman|first=Stanley|date=20 March 1983|title=DE GAULLE IN AN EPIC OF HIS OWN MAKING|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/20/books/de-gaulle-in-an-epic-of-his-own-making.html|access-date=18 April 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

=== Ambassador to Finland ===
Ledwidge was appointed the British Ambassador to [[Finland]] in 1969, succeeding [[David Scott Fox|Sir David Scott Fox]].<ref name=":0" />

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".<ref>{{Cite news|date=25 September 2010|title=The parting shots of diplomats|work=[[The Times]]|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-parting-shots-of-diplomats-prbf5k6n3v5|access-date=12 April 2021}}</ref>

=== Ambassador to Israel ===
Ledwidge was appointed the British Ambassador to [[Israel]] in 1972, succeeding Anthony Elliott.<ref name=":0" />

Ledwidge was raised to a [[Order of St Michael and St George|Knight of the Order of St Michael and St George]] (KCMG) in 1974.<ref name=":0" />

On 15 June 1975, the Israeli Foreign Minister, [[Yigal Allon]], summoned Ledwidge to raise concern over reports of impending Anglo-Egyptian arms deals.<ref>{{Cite news|date=16 June 1975|title=Allon Sees British Envoy over Arms Deal Report|work=[[Jewish Telegraphic Agency]]|url=https://www.jta.org/1975/06/16/archive/allon-sees-british-envoy-over-arms-deal-report|access-date=12 April 2021}}</ref>

Ledwidge left this appointment in 1975.<ref name=":0" />

Ledwidge was the Chairman of the [[UNICEF UK|United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF]] from 1976 to 1989.<ref name=":0" />

=== Writing ===
Ledwidge published his first book, a novel based on his experience in India, called "Frontiers" in 1979.<ref name=":1" />

In 1983, he published a biography of [[Charles de Gaulle]]. Critics noted the author's admiration for the French statesman.<ref name=":2" /> A French translation of this book was published the following year.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Stuart|first=Douglas T.|date=1994|title=CAN EUROPE SURVIVE MAASTRICHT?|publisher=Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep11252}}</ref>

== Death ==
Ledwidge died on 20 February 1998 in London, United Kingdom.<ref name=":1" />

== Personal life ==
Ledwidge married his first wife, Anne Kingsley, in 1948.<ref name=":0" /> They had two children together, a son and a daughter.<ref name=":1" /> The marriage was dissolved in 1970.<ref name=":0" /> Ledwidge married his second wife, [[Flora Groult]], in 1970.<ref name=":0" /> Ledwidge was a member of the [[Travellers Club]] and the [[Marylebone Cricket Club]].<ref name=":0" /> Ledwidge spoke French.<ref name=":1" />

== Honours ==

== Publications ==

== See also ==

* [[Finland-United Kingdom relations]]

* [[Israel–United Kingdom relations]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==

* {{Who's Who|id=U179915|year=2007|surname=Ledwidge|othernames=Sir (William) Bernard (John)}}

[[Category:1915 births]]
[[Category:1998 deaths]]
[[Category:British diplomats]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Finland]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Israel]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Royal Artillery personnel]]
[[Category:British Indian Army personnel]]
[[Category:Military personnel from London]]

{{s-start}}
{{s-dip}}
{{succession box
|title=[[List of Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Finland|Her Britannic Majesty's Ambassador to the Republic of Finland]]
|before=[[David Scott Fox]]
|after=[[Anthony Elliott]]
|years=1969–1972}}
{{succession box
|title=[[List of ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Israel|Her Britannic Majesty's Ambassador to the State of Israel]]
|before=[[Ernest John Ward Barnes]]
|after=[[Thomas Anthony Keith Elliott]]
|years=1972–1975}}
{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ledwidge, Bernard}}

Bernard Ledwidge - Revision history

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