Marking 100 Years of the British Residence and Bidding Farewell to Ambassador Paul Fox
Edited by Anna Popper
On 12 June 2025, the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Budapest celebrated the official birthday of His Majesty King Charles III with a magnificent garden party at the Ambassador’s Residence. Although King Charles III and Queen Elizabeth II were born in November and April respectively, official celebrations traditionally take place in the summer, when the weather is most favourable.
This much-anticipated annual diplomatic event brought together hundreds of guests from Hungary’s political, governmental, business, cultural, and academic circles. It was a great pleasure to celebrate British–Hungarian relations in such distinguished company.
The celebration opened with a welcome address from the Embassy’s spokesperson.
Then, Ms. Lilla Számel sang the national anthems.
It continued with the remarks of His Excellency Paul Fox, Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Hungary on current British–Hungarian relations and a personal farewell as he prepares to leave Hungary after five years of memorable diplomatic service. His speech began in excellent Hungarian. Below is the English translation:
“Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,
It is an honour for me to welcome you here today at this beautiful and historic Residence.
This year, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Residence. Built in 1925 by Hungarian aristocrats, the building has served as the home of successive British Ambassadors for over 75 years. This Residence is the best symbol of the relationship between the United Kingdom and Hungary.
Today, we are celebrating the birthday of His Majesty King Charles III, which in many ways is also our national holiday. This will also be my last King’s Birthday Party, as I will be leaving Budapest in September after five years.
Please allow me, for simplicity, to continue in English.”
“Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to welcome you to the Residence for this celebration of His Majesty’s birthday, where the four nations of the United Kingdom come together in honour of the official birthday of our monarch, King Charles III.
This celebration would not have been possible without our Platinum and Gold sponsors: Diageo; Rolls Royce SMR; British International School Budapest; Danubius Hotels Group; Menzies Aviation; and Shell. I would also like to thank all our other sponsors. And I would like to thank Ms. Lilla Számel for her wonderful rendition of the national anthems.
Above all, I would like to thank my team for all their hard work in making the Residence look so special.
Finally, I would like to thank you, my guests, for being here today. This includes seven young women who won our ‘Ambassador for a Day’ competition by writing about women who have inspired them.
In addition to His Majesty’s birthday, we are also marking 100 years of the Residence.
Built in 1925 by the Scitovszkys – a Hungarian aristocratic family – who had to flee Hungary after the war, it has been the home of the British Ambassador since 1946. It was first offered to the American Ambassador, who rejected it as being too small and in too poor condition. I think the UK got the better deal there.
The British Government bought the house in the late 1960s, so it is genuinely British territory. However, I consider us the custodians of this small but important piece of Hungarian history, which has seen so much over the past 100 years: from political salons in the 1930s, to Russian troops in the 1940s, to Prime Ministers, Kings, and Queens since.
It has also survived my cat, Kiwi, who has used much of the furniture as scratching posts for the past five years. I am sure the Foreign Office in London will be happy to see her go – as will my corporate services team.
It has been a privilege to call this beautiful house my home, and I welcome you all here today to enjoy what it has to offer.
It was another eventful year with many changes and turmoils in the world. This also impacted the relationship between Hungary and the United Kingdom.
In April, the latest edition of our bilateral forum, the 3rd Chain Bridge Forum, took place here in Budapest, named in honour of the first bridge to span the Danube in the city – designed by an Englishman, William Tierney Clark, and built in 1849 by the Scotsman, Adam Clark. A fitting symbol of the relationship between our two countries.
This forum allows us to strengthen existing cooperation, but also to explore where we differ in a constructive manner, based on mutual respect. It built on key events of the past year, when Hungary took on the Presidency of the EU and hosted the fifth meeting of the European Political Community in November 2024, attended by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. This forum demonstrates the breadth of our relationship.
Our commercial relationship continues to grow. A number of major British investors operate in Hungary, including our sponsors BP, Diageo, Ernst & Young, Provident, and Unilever. Shell, another of our sponsors, also celebrates 100 years in Hungary this year.
The UK is one of the biggest investors in Hungary, with investments worth over £3 billion and British companies employing around 55,000 people. Trade was valued at over £8 billion in 2024 – an increase of 20% on the previous year.
The UK supports Hungary’s energy security and Net Zero efforts, offering solutions for nuclear fuel diversification and green electricity generation. Rolls Royce is a leader in this field with its Small Modular Reactor offer, and was this week selected by the British Government to develop SMRs in the UK. I hope Rolls Royce can do the same here in Hungary.
We look forward to further developing this mutually beneficial relationship in the years to come. It is built on strong people-to-people ties. I would like to thank my colleagues at the British Council, who work with my Embassy to develop and promote educational and cultural links between our two countries.
I would also like to thank the Hungarian alumni of British universities and institutions for being effective ambassadors for British education. Our close relationship with the Hungarian Association of British Alumni continues to promote the UK’s educational offer.
And again, I would like to thank our Hungarian hosts for welcoming so many British tourists – which remains a bit of a mixed blessing. Our relationship is based on ensuring each other’s security. We are both members of NATO – an organisation that provides our security and is more important than ever.
We have now entered the fourth year of war, following Russia’s illegal and unprovoked attack on its neighbour Ukraine. This, without doubt, remains the defining issue of our time. It continues to be a direct challenge to the international rules-based order. The Ukrainian people continue to resist. Their very right to exist as a nation and as people continue to be at stake. They deserve and need the support of those of us who believe in democracy, the rule of law, and justice.
We in the United Kingdom want to see this conflict end as soon as possible. We applaud the efforts of President Trump to bring this about. However, it is clear that Putin is not interested in ending this war. He will continue to delay, prevaricate, and make unreasonable demands, while conducting a war that is taking so many lives.
If one party is in the war camp, suffering from war psychosis, that party is not in Brussels or London, but in Moscow.
We in Europe need to unite in the face of this threat, for if Putin is rewarded for his aggression in Ukraine – who is next? That’s why Prime Minister Starmer is at the forefront of building a Coalition of the Willing, working with close allies to ensure our security. That is why we have pledged to increase our defence spending, given the very real threat we all face. That is why we are fully committed to NATO – reinvigorated by new members, deriving its strength from unity of purpose and resolve. That is why we continue to support Ukraine in its fight against tyranny. Investing in Ukraine’s security is an investment in our own.
All of this reflects the continuing strength of the UK, which – as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a member of the G7 – promotes global security and prosperity.
As I said, this has been my last King’s Birthday Party. It has been a privilege and an honour to serve here as the British Ambassador, at a crucial time in Hungary’s history and in Britain’s relationship with Hungary.
I arrived in the middle of the pandemic, which upended all our lives, and during the endgame of Brexit negotiations between the UK and the EU – which certainly upended my life.
I was here when war broke out in Europe – the largest conflict on our continent since the Second World War. A conflict that is testing the international rules-based order and reshaping global geopolitics.
For me, these has been the best of times and the worst of times. Professionally, this has been the most rewarding assignment of my career – in a country that matters and provokes so much interest.
Personally, it has had its tragic moments, with the loss of my wife, Vicki, to cancer last year. Not only is my time in Hungary coming to a close, but so is my career in the diplomatic service. I would say I am ending on a high.
As my departure approaches, I believe Hungary faces some key decisions. I have grown to love this country over the past five years. Its history and culture are so rich; its people, so full of talent and potential.
However, I have seen a coarsening of political discourse, with the intensified use of the harshest type of rhetoric. Minorities are being demonised – as we saw with the potential ban on Pride. Neighbours are being described as disease-ridden criminals. Domestic critics of the government are threatened with being legislated out of existence. I believe a line is being approached that you do not want to cross. But your future is in your hands.
The United Kingdom will always be a friend – but we will be a critical friend, developing our relationship on the basis of shared values, mutual prosperity, and collective security.
I want to end by offering a toast to His Majesty the King, but also to Hungary. So please charge your glasses.”
“Your Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen: To His Majesty the King. And to Hungary. Thank you.”
The evening continued with a delightful reception in the garden of the British Residence, where guests enjoyed fine food, drinks, conversation, and a celebratory atmosphere.
This year’s King’s Birthday Party was not only a tribute to the monarch, but also a heartfelt farewell to a respected diplomat, whose service and integrity left a lasting impression on British–Hungarian relations.
On behalf of Diplomatic Press Agency, we extend our sincere gratitude to Ambassador Paul Fox for his outstanding service, unwavering professionalism, and dedicated commitment to strengthening British–Hungarian relations. We wish him continued success, personal fulfilment, many rewarding moments on his new path in life, and good health in all his future endeavours.
Source: Embassy of the United Kingdom in Budapest
Photos by the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Budapest / by András Bíró and DPA
