Sir Anthony Lambert KCMG (7 March 1911 – 28 April 2007) was a British diplomat who was UK envoy to Bulgaria, Tunisia, Finland and Portugal.

Career

Sir Anthony was described by ''The Telegraph'' as Anthony Edward Lambert was educated at

Harrow School Harrow School () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English boarding school for boys) in Harrow on the Hill, Greater London, England. The school was founded in 1572 by John Lyon (school founder), John Lyon, a local landowner an ...

and went with a scholarship to

Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1263 by nobleman John I de Balliol, it has a claim to be the oldest college in Oxford and the English-speaking world. With a governing body of a master and aro ...

. He joined the

Foreign Office Foreign may refer to: Government * Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries ** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government ** Foreign office and foreign minister * United ...

in 1934 and served first in Brussels, then during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

in Ankara (where his ambassador Sir Hughe Knatchbull-Hugessen was spied on by his Albanian valet

Elyesa Bazna Elyesa Bazna (), sometimes known as Ilyaz and Iliaz Bazna (; 28 July 1904 – 21 December 1970), was a espionage, secret agent for Nazi Germany during World War II, operating under the code name Cicero. In 1943, Bazna was hired as a valet ...

, codenamed Cicero by the Germans), then Beirut where he was involved in General Sir Louis Spears' campaign to counter French influence, then after the Allied invasion of Europe in 1944 he was posted to Brussels again and later to Stockholm and to Athens where during travels around the country he compiled a checklist of the birds of Greece which became a standard work of reference. Lambert was Minister to Bulgaria 1958–60, where he instigated the first production of a British Opera in Sofia by spending his cultural budget on records of ''

Peter Grimes ''Peter Grimes'', Op. 33, is an opera in three acts by Benjamin Britten, with a libretto by Montagu Slater based on the section "Peter Grimes", in George Crabbe's long narrative poem '' The Borough''. The "borough" of the opera is a fictional ...

'' which he left on a table at a party for opera enthusiasts: after the party the records were gone and the local opera company subsequently staged ''Peter Grimes'' with sets by

Osbert Lancaster Sir Osbert Lancaster (4 August 1908 – 27 July 1986) was an English cartoonist, architectural historian, stage designer and author. He was known for his cartoons in the British press, and for his lifelong work to inform the general publi ...

who was a friend of Mr and Mrs Lambert. Lambert was

Ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...

to Tunisia 1960–63, to Finland 1963–66 and to Portugal 1966–70. Lambert retired from the

Diplomatic Service Diplomatic service is the body of diplomats and foreign policy officers maintained by the government of a country to communicate with the governments of other countries. Diplomatic personnel obtain diplomatic immunity when they are accredited to o ...

in 1970 and became director of a textile company, Crosrol Ltd. In retirement he also edited a new edition of

John Betjeman Sir John Betjeman, (; 28 August 190619 May 1984) was an English poet, writer, and broadcaster. He was Poet Laureate from 1972 until his death. He was a founding member of The Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architect ...

's ''Guide to English Parish Churches''.

Publications

*''A specific check list of the birds of Greece'', ''Ibis'', volume 99, issue 1, January 1957 *''Spring migration of raptors in Bulgaria'', ''Ibis'', volume 103A, Issue 1, January 1961

Honours

Lambert was appointed CMG in the 1955

Queen's Birthday Honours The Birthday Honours, in some Commonwealth realms, mark the King's Official Birthday, reigning monarch's official birthday in each realm by granting various individuals appointment into Order (honour), national or Dynastic order of knighthood, dy ...

and knighted KCMG in the 1964

New Year Honours The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, with New Year's Day, 1 January, being marked by naming new members of orders of chivalry and recipients of other official honours. A number of other Commonwealth realms also mark this ...

References

LAMBERT, Sir Anthony (Edward)
''Who Was Who'', A & C Black, 1920–2015; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014 {{DEFAULTSORT:Lambert, Anthony Edward 1911 births 2007 deaths People educated at Harrow School Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Bulgaria Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Tunisia Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Finland Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Portugal Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George