Monday 10th September, 2018
Today, Monday 10th September 2018, The Duke of York arrived in Budapest on an official visit to Hungary at the request of Her Majesty’s Government.
HRH was received by H.E. Mr. Iain Lindsay, Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Hungary before meeting with The President of Hungary, János Áder at Sándor Palace.
The Duke of York then opened the International Civil Engineering 200 conference, marking the 200th anniversary of the Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE), and the European Year of Civil Engineers. Here both HRH and President Áder presented The Tierney Clark Award – a prestigious civil engineering award – to the team behind the recently inaugurated Mosoni-Duna Bridge in Hungary.
The Duke of York said, “Engineering is possibly the most important industrial activity that we have on this planet, and every single thing that we interact with today has been engineered in some way or another.
“It’s an enormous privilege to be patron of ICE, which I am very fortunate to have taken over from my father. I can only hope that during my tenure as Patron to increase the awareness and importance of engineering and what it will actually mean in our societies in the coming years.
“Conferences and awards like these mark a small step towards people being able to recognise that engineering is something we should be proud of, something we should say thank you for, and to encourage the next generation – particularly young women – to think of as a career.”
A certificate of special recognition was also presented by the President and HRH to the team behind the Szombathely HaladásSports Complex.
Later that day, The Duke of York met with Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, followed by a meeting with Mr. Viktor Orbán, Prime Minster of Hungary.
That evening, HRH visited the Ambassador’s Residence where he presented Martin Walsh, Head of Corporate Services at the British Embassy, with the British Empire Medal. Martin Walsh was awarded a BEM by Her Majesty The Queen in the 2018 New Year’s Honours List for his work overseeing the complete renovation of the British Embassy estate in Budapest over a period of four years. The Duke of York then joined the British Community Reception at the Residence to celebrate the contribution made by the British Community in Hungary to relations between both nations.
Later that evening, HRH met with Nguyễn Phú Trọng, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, with tomorrow, 11th September, being the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the UK and Vietnam.
The Duke of York finished a busy day of engagements by attending a Business Dinner given by Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Hungary, meeting with key Hungarian investors in the UK.
