Sir Noel Hughes Havelock Charles, 3rd Baronet, (20 November 1891 – 8 September 1975) was a British diplomat.

Biography

Charles was the younger son of Sir Havelock Charles, 1st Baronet,

Serjeant Surgeon The Serjeant Surgeon is the senior surgeon in the Medical Household of the Royal Household of the Monarch, Sovereign of the United Kingdom. The origin of the post dates back to 1253. Early serjeant surgeons were military surgeons who followed the ...

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. George was born during the reign of his pa ...

. Educated at

Rugby School Rugby School is a Public school (United Kingdom), private boarding school for pupils aged 13–18, located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire in England. Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is one of the oldest independ ...

and

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...

, he served in the First World War in France, receiving the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...

and two mentions in despatches. He entered the Foreign Service as a Third Secretary at Brussels in 1919. He was posted to the Foreign Office in London 1921, to Bucharest in 1923, Tokyo in 1927, London in 1929, Stockholm in 1932, Moscow in 1933, Brussels in 1936, Rome in 1937, and Lisbon in 1940. Charles was appointed

British Ambassador to Brazil The Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Brazil is the United Kingdom's foremost diplomatic representative in Brazil and the head of the UK's diplomatic mission in Brazil. The official title is ''His Britannic Majesty's Ambassador to the Federa ...

in 1941. In 1944, he was sent to Rome as British High Commissioner in Italy (subsequently Representative of HM Government to the Italian Government, with personal rank of Ambassador), serving there until 1947. While in Rome, he sent a memo to the British government suggesting that they urge Italy to set up a system of issuing exit permits to prevent Italy being used as a pathway for Jews seeking to reach

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

. Noel's Rome home was extensively damaged during a 1946 bombing by Irgun terrorists; he and his wife were away that day. After serving in London from 1947 to 1949, he retired in 1951. Sir Noel was appointed a

Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV), while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George I ...

(CMG) in 1937 and was promoted to

Knight Commander Knight Commander (or Dame Commander) is the second most senior grade of seven British orders of chivalry, three of which are dormant (and one of them continues as a German house order). The rank entails admission into knighthood, allowing the rec ...

(KCMG) in 1941. Charles died in September 1975, aged 83, at which time the baronetcy became extinct.

References

Sources

Gilbert, Martin Sir Martin John Gilbert (25 October 1936 – 3 February 2015) was a British historian and honorary Fellow of Merton College, Oxford. He was the author of 88 books, including works on Winston Churchill, the 20th century, and Jewish history inc ...

. ''Israel: A History''. (New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1998) p. 124 *Gat, Moshe. ''Britain and Italy: 1943-1949, The Decline of British Influence''. (Brighton, United Kingdom: Sussex Academic Press, 1996) p. 131. {{DEFAULTSORT:Charles, Noel 1891 births 1975 deaths Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Italy Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Brazil Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Recipients of the Military Cross People educated at Rugby School Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Members of HM Diplomatic Service 20th-century British diplomats