Portugal-UK 650 are the commemorations of the 650th anniversary of the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance, the oldest diplomatic alliance in the world still in force. To date Portugal-UK 650 has organized more than 300 activities and projects in partnership with 210 institutions.

The beginning of the formalization of the Alliance, based on the perpetual friendship between the two countries, occurred with the signing of the Treaty of Tagilde on 10th of July 1372.

The establishment of the Alliance took place, with the signing of the Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Alliance, sealed at St. Paul’s Cathedral, in London, on 16th of June 1373, by King Edward III of England and King Fernando and Queen Leonor of Portugal.

This alliance was later reinforced by the treaty of 1386 (Treaty of Windsor) and several other treaties throughout the centuries.

In addition to the celebration of the most important dates – the 650 years of the Treaty of Tagilde, on 10 July 2022 and the Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Alliance on 16 June 2023 – Portugal-Uk 650 includes other initiatives such as research, education, cultural, military, cooperation and social activities.

 

OBJECTIVES

 

Portugal-UK 650 intends to celebrate and promote the common history; write new chapters of friendship, cooperation and trade;  undertake scientific research on the Alliance, and promote the values of the treaty of Alliance in today’s world – peace, friendship, truth, fidelity, constancy, sincerity, kindness and solidarity:

From henceforth there shall be between us true, faithful, constant and perpetual peace and friendship, union and alliance and league of sincere affection” (Article 1, Treaty of Alliance between Portugal and England, 16 June 1373).

IMPACT

 

Our long-term desired impact is to contribute to a safer and more fraternal society, with greater knowledge of its historical and cultural heritage, increased international solidarity and a strengthened dialogue, cooperation and friendship between the citizens of both countries.

Portugal-UK 650 wishes to contribute as well,  that commemoration of cultural and historical milestones, besides celebration promote empathy, responsibility, and commitment.

LOGO

 

The logo combines heraldic elements of the coats of arms of England and Portugal, countries which, in 1372/1373 and today, remain in alliance. It was designed by the heraldic artist Duarte Vilardebó Loureiro.

THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD

Portugal-UK 650 is based at the University of Oxford and involves several members of the University. Portugal-UK 650 has the support of the civil, military and religious authorities of both countries. Presently, Portugal-UK includes 210 participant institutions including authorities and civil society.

Who We Are

PATRONS

 

Patron: His Majesty King Charles III of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

 

“The ancient alliance between us is founded in the Treaty, which was signed in this City of London in 1373 and which was confirmed in the Treaty of Windsor of 1386. […] I think, Mr. President, that our own solid, perpetual and real league provides a striking example of fidelity throughout the years.” Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II.

 

His Excellency the President of the Portuguese Republic

 

 


HONORARY COMMITTEE  – ACTIVE SUPPORTERS AND CONTRIBUTORS
His Holiness Pope Francis

His Holiness Pope Francis was pleased to learn about the Portugal-UK 650 initiative commemorating the 650th anniversary of the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance. His Holiness sends prayerful good wishes to you and your associates for your efforts to promote dialogue and fraternity. Upon all of you he willingly invokes God’s blessing of peace.”

 

Letter from the Vatican addressed to Maria Joao Rodrigues de Araujo, President de Portugal-UK 650.

The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury

“In a world plagued by conflict, division, and indifference, such long friendship and peace between nations is an achievement and a blessing that certainly deserves to be commemorated. Reconciliation is one of my priorities and I very much welcome the ambition of this project to celebrate and promote a culture of peace, and inspire new generations of reconcilers. I wish Portugal-UK 650 and all the participants every blessing.”

 

From the Letter of The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury to Portugal-UK 650.

Minister of State for Europe and the Americas, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, Her Majesty’s Government of the United Kingdom

‘I was most interested to hear about your ambitious project [Portugal-UK 650] to celebrate bilateral relations between UK and Portugal. It is a remarkable undertaking and I was impressed by the scope of your plans and commitment to pay tribute to this special relationship . […] It is apposite that we should celebrate this important anniversary of our oldest diplomatic Alliance, and seek to foster the spirit of friendship for future generations.”

From Letter of the Minister of State for Europe and the Americas Rt Hon Sir Alan Duncan MP, to Portugal-UK 650, 14 March 2019.

 

Admiral António Silva Ribeiro, Chief of Defense Staff of the Armed Forces of Portugal

“It was with great interest and joy that I learnt about the initiative ‘Portugal-UK 650’ that aims to celebrate the 650th anniversary of the Anglo-Portuguese Treaty of 1373, the oldest treaty in the world in force, an unequivocal proof of the relationship and commitment between these two countries, which was so decisive in our common history. [.…]

I declare the institutional support of the General Staff of the Armed Forces  to the activities with a military character. (…) Please accept my sincere congratulations for this initiative that can count with the collaboration of the General Staff of the Armed Forces for its materialization.”

From letter of the Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Silva Ribeiro to Maria João Rodrigues de Araujo.

 

His Excellency Ambassador José Ribeiro de Almeida, President of Camoes Institute, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal

“Recognising the merit of the initiative [Portugal-UK 650] for the reinforcement of the long and close cultural cooperation between Portugal and the United Kingdom, the Camoes Institute for Cooperation and Language, I.P declares its institutional support to this project, during the execution of its program of activities (2019-2023).”

From the letter of the President of Camoes Institute to Maria João Rodrigues de Araujo, 2 April 2019.

 

His Royal Highness Duke of Bragança, Dom Duarte Pio de Bragança

 

His Grace and Serene Highness the Duke of Wellington, Prince of Waterloo, Duke of Vitória, Charles Wellesley OBE DL

 


COORDINATION COMMITTEE 

 

António Sabido Costa, Minister-Counsellor / Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Portugal in the United Kingdom

Gavin Davis and Nicola Davis, Political Counsellors, British Embassy in Portugal

Maria João Rodrigues de Araújo, University of Oxford, President

Ricardo Rio, Mayor of Braga

Vitor Hugo Salgado, Mayor of Vizela

 


ARTISTIC DIRECTOR 

 

Prof Owen Rees, University of Oxford

Owen Rees is Professor of Music at the University of Oxford, and Fellow in Music and Organist (Director of Music) at The Queen’s College, Oxford. He is both an acclaimed choral director and an internationally recognised scholar of Renaissance music, particularly from Portugal, England and Spain. His scholarship consistently informs his performances. He has played a leading role in revealing the glories of Portuguese Renaissance polyphony to an international audience. His interpretations have been acclaimed as ‘revelatory and even visionary’ (BBC Music Magazine) and as ‘rare examples of scholarship and musicianship combining to result in performances that are both impressive and immediately attractive to the listener’ (Gramophone). He has broadcast on BBC radio 3 and 4 and in other countries. His recordings have won a “Diapason d’Or” and have been nominated three times for a Gramophone Award. He has recorded for film, including the Warner Brothers film ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’. The soundtrack received a Grammy nomination and won the Classical FM Film Music of the Year Award. His monograph on the largest surviving collection of early Portuguese musical sources — from the Monastery of Santa Cruz in Coimbra — deals both with Portuguese repertories and with cultural and musical connections between Portugal and other countries. He has edited music by three of the most important Portuguese composers of the period, Manuel Cardoso, Pedro de Cristo and Duarte Lobo. In 2020, he won the Robert M. Stevenson Award of the American Musicological Society, in recognition of outstanding scholarship in Iberian music.

 

 

 

 


SCIENTIFIC COUNCIL

Prof. Alexandra Maria Rodrigues Araújo, University of Minho

Prof. João Carlos Espada GOM, Hon OBE, University Católica of Portugal 

Prof. Maria José Azevedo dos Santos, University of Coimbra

Prof. Owen Rees, University of Oxford

Prof. Paul Yowell, University  of Oxford

Prof.  Teresa Pinto Coelho, University Nova of Lisbon 

Prof. Thomas Earle GOIH, University  of Oxford 

 


PEDADOGIC COUNCIL

Agostinha Freitas, City Council of VIzela, Education Councillor

Prof. James Arthur OBE, University of  Birmingham, Director Jubilee Center for Character and Virtue

Prof. Liam, Gearon FRSA FHEA, University of Oxford, Faculty of Education

Richard Fleming, British Council, Head of Education and Culture

 


EXECUTIVE TEAM

Adrian Bridge, CEO Fladgate Partnership 

The Baroness Rosario Mandat-Grancey, International Ambassador and Trustee English National Ballet

The Hon David Justin Windsor-Clive

Canon Dr Edmund Newell FRSA FHRS, Principal and Chief Executive, Cumberland Lodge

Isabel Maria Gonçalves  Folhadela Mendes Furtado, CEO TMG Automotive, Vice-Presidente ATO, ex-Presidente COTEC Portugal

Maria Isabel de Conti Turpia e Gama Rose Soares Machado, retired from Protocole of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal.

 

Collaborators:

Aline Hall de Beuvink

Duarte Vilardebó Loureiro

Leonie Harle

Maria Helena Rodrigues de Araujo Duarte

Maria Teresa José de Mello do Amaral Cabral

Mónica de Araújo Marques

Tania Oliveira

Thomas Hall de Beuvink


LEGAL

SRS Advogados, Sociedade Rebelo de Sousa e Advogados Associados

 


COMMUNICATIONS

Portugal: CV&A Consultores

United Kingdom: Lansons, Team Farner


PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES

Coordinators of Scientific Activities:

Prof Alexandra Maria Rodrigues Araújo, University of Minho, Centre for Justice and Governance

Prof João Carlos Espada GOM,  Hon OBE, University Catolica Portugal, Director Institute of Political Science

Prof Owen Rees, Universidade de Oxford, Professor of Music, Fellow and Tutor at The Queen’s College

Prof Thomas Earle GOIH, Universidade de Oxford, University of Oxford, Emeritus King John II Professor of Portuguese Studies

Dance in Perpetuity: Fleur Derbyshire-Fox, English National Ballet, Engagement Director

Unesco Creative Cities: Prof. Christopher Bailey, Clerk of York Guild of Media Arts and Joana Miranda, Executive Coordinator Braga  Media Arts

Sailors of Hope: Ana Maria Príncipe, National Health Service of Portugal

6.50 Trooping the Colours: Jorge Marques, Agrupamento de Escolas Alberto Sampaio

Opera Studio: Cristina Gonçalves,  Conservatório Calouste Gulbenkian

Education Resources British Council: Richard Fleming, British Council, Head of Culture and Education

Education Resources Jubilee Centre:

Michael Fullard FHEA, University of Birmingham, Jubilee Centre, Research Fellow

Paul Watts, University of Birmingham, Jubilee Centre, Lecturer (por link por baixo do nome)

Dr Eugenio Silva (translation) 

Responsible for Competitions: Agostinha Freitas, City Council of Vizela, Councillor

Exhibition: “Portugal-UK 650 Queen Catherine of  Braganza, memories of an alliance” and “The Anglo-Portuguese Alliance through the eyes of children”: Ana Isabel Dias e Ana Paula Martins

The National Archives: Dr Sean Cunningham, Head of Medieval Record, National Archives.

Media Arts: Sean Gregory, Vice Principal of GSMD and Joana Miranda, Executive Coordinator of Braga Media Arts.

Exhibition “The Anglo-Portuguese Alliance through the eyes of children: Ana Isabel Dias e Ana Paula Martins

 


WE ARE GRATEFUL TO: 

Lieutenant Colonel Sir Andrew Ford KCVO

Ambassador Chris Sainty, Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Portugal

Sir David Manning GCMG, KCVO

Frederico Falcão, CEO Wines of Portugal

General Tenant João Vaz Antunes, House of the President of Portugal

Hugo Vasco de Carvalho

Lit Col. Michael Vernon, Comptroller of the Chamberlain’s Office, Buckingham Palace

Rev Canon Paul Wright, Sub-Dean of Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal

Institutions

Portugal-UK 650  has the support of the civil, military and religious authorities of both countries. At present Portugal-UK brings together around 210 participant institutions including authorities and civil society. 

​​The Royal Household

Presidency of Republic of Portugal

Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office

British Embassy in Lisbon

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal

         Camoes Institute

         Embassy of Portugal in UK

Diplomatic Institute

Regional Government of Madeira Island

AICEP

Department of Digital, Cultural, Media and Sports of Great Britain: The National Archives

Ministry of Culture of Portugal

Ministry of Defense of United Kingdom: Armed Forces

The Household Calvary

The Household Army

The Band of the Household Division

The Band of the Air Force

The Band of the Cold Stream Guards

The AirForce Red Arrows

Ministry of Defense of Portugal

General Staff of the Portuguese Armed Forces

Portuguese Navy

Portuguese Army

Air Force of Portugal

Military Band

Ministry of the Sea

Ministry of Economy of Portugal: Tourism of Portugal

Minstry of Education Great Britain:

Schools with Portuguese Language (Camoes schools network)

Ministry of Education of Portugal:

Direçao geral da Educaçao

         Agrupamento de Escolas Alberto Sampaio

         Calouste Gulbenkian Conservatoire

Agrupamento de Escolas de Santa Barbara de Gondomar

Agrupamento de Escolas de Vizela

Escola EB1 Marco de Canavezes

Bilingue Schools with English Language

S. Julian’s School

International Preparatory School

Oporto British School

Agrupamento de Escolas da Bobadela

Anglo-Portuguese School of London

Ministry of Health of Portugal: National Health Service

Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Santo António – Centro Materno Infantil do Norte Albino Aroso

Centro Hospitalar Universitário de S. João

IPO Porto

Centro Hospitalar Vila Nova de Gaia e Espinho

Hospital Pedro Hispano ULSL

Centro Hospitalar de entre o Douro e Vouga (Hospital de S. Sebastião)

Centro Hospitalar do Tâmega e Sousa, EPE (Hospital de Penafiel)

Centro Hospitalar de Trás os Montes e Alto Douro

Centro Hospitalar do Nordeste (Hospital de Bragança)

Hospital da Senhora da Oliveira (Hospital de Guimarães)

Centro Hospitalar do Médio Ave (Hospital de Famalicão)

Hospital de Braga EPE

Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Coimbra (Pediátrico de Coimbra)

Centro Hospitalar Tondela Viseu

Unidade de Saúde Local da Guarda

Unidade Saúde Local de Castelo Branco

Hospital Distrital de Portalegre

Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental (S. Francisco Xavier)

Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte (Hospital de Sta. Maria)

Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Central (Hospital D. Estefânia)

Ipo de Lisboa

Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve

Hospital de Faro

Hospital do Divino Espirito Santo de Ponta Delgada (Azores Island)

Hospital de Santo Espirito da Ilha Terceira (Angra do Heroísmo, Terceira Island)

SESARAM – Hospital Dr. Nélio Mendonça (Funchal, Madeira Island)

British Parliament: All-Party Parliamentary Group Portugal

Anglican Church

Catholic Church

British Council

Municipality of Vizela

Municipality of Braga

Municipality of Coimbra

Municipality of Aveiro

Municipality of Porto

Municipality of Câmara de Lobos, Madeira Island

City of London Corporation: Guildhall School of Music & Drama

York Unesco City of Media Arts

Braga Creative City for the Media Arts

National Palace of Sintra

CTT National Postal Mail of Portugal

University of Oxford

   Faculty of Music

   Faculty of Education

   Faculty of Modern Languages,

   The Oxford Character Project

   The Queen’s College

Oriel College

Choir of Oriel College Oxford

Choir of The Queen’s College

University of Cambridge

University of Coimbra, Centre for the History of Society and Culture

University of Lisbon, Iuris

University of Evora, Research Center in Political Science

University of Birmingham, Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtue

University Católica Portugal, Institute of Political Studies

University of Minho

   School of Law

   Jus Gov, Centre for Justice and Governance

   School of Humanities, Arts, and Human Sciences, Department of Music

The Royal Chapel

The Queen’s Chapel, St James’s Palace

Anglican Church of St George, Lisbon

Anglican Church of St Paul, Estoril

Chapter of the Cathedral of Braga

Cathedral of Aveiro

Cathedral of Porto

Lapa Church, Porto

Monastery of S. Vicent of Fora, Pantheon Royal House of Braganza

Monastery Santa Cruz of Coimbra

The Royal Hospital Chelsea

Santa Casa da Misericordia of Porto

Barbican Center

English National Ballet

Theatro do Circo

British Historical Society of Portugal

ANDI – New Dialogue Organization

Ent’Artes

Passado Vivo

Espaço Vita

Altice Forum

Howdenshire Music, East Yorkshire

Philarmonic Society of Vizela

Choir of The Queen’s College Oxford

Cumberland Lodge, Windsor Great Park

The Church Music Society

National Liberal Club

Academia Braga Dança

Arte Total

Colegio Dom Diogo de Sousa

Backstage

Bracara Team

Instruments of Time & Truth

Biblioteca Lucio Craveiro da Silva

Casa da Cultura de Vizela

Museum of Se of Braga

London Science Museum

Beuvink Consulting

Band of the Coldstream Guards

Band of Portuguese Armed Forces

IEP Alumni Club

International Churchill Society

International Churchill Society of Portugal

University of Oxford Portuguese Society

Oxford Society of Portugal

Royal British Club

Vhils Studio

Joana Vasconcelos Foundation

Alfândega do Porto

Museum of Transports and Communications, Porto

Sociedade da Independência Histórica de Portugal

Calvary and Guards Club

Aspley House

Batalha Monastery

Belem Tower

Jerónimos Monastery

Convent of Christ, Tomar

St. Geroge’s Chapel, Windsor Castle

Church of St James Twickenham

National Palace of Mafra

Palace of Queluz

Palace of Pena

Quinta Regaleira

Casa Infante D. Henrique Porto

Factory House Porto

Villar d’Allen

Torre do Tombo

Casa da Historias, Paula Rego

MMIPO – Museum and Church of the Misericordia of Porto

Portuguese Chamber of Commerce in UK

Diaspora Portuguesa

Conselho das Comunidades Portuguesas

Waddesdon Manor

Atelier Joana Vasconcelos

Rothschild Foundation

Beja Airshow

Livros Horizonte

BBC Radio 3

BBC Proms

Royal Albert Hall

London Contemporary Orchestra

AWA Association of Woman Ambassadors

EUROPAEUM (Oxford)

International Churchill Society of Brazil

The Cambridge Club of Portugal

Sociedade Historica da Independencia de Portugal

National Liberal Club, Whitehall Pl

Phillips

Livros Horizonte

Pestana Cidadela Cascais

Queen Catarina’s Tea

Força  Motriz

MG

Ventura

Flourish and Prosper

CA3 Studies

Howden Minster

ODE: Orchestra of Electronic Devices

Guildhall  Live Electronic Ensemble

Companies

Support