The UK ambassador to Spain, Hugh Elliott, has had his last day in the post.
Bidding farewell to Brits in Spain and Spaniards alike, Elliott posted his final video messages (one in English and one in Spanish) stating that “Spain is an exceptional country and the relationship between our countries, and between our peoples, is exceptional.”
He added that it’s no surprise that there are more flights between Spain and the UK than between any other two countries in the world.
The 59-year-old diplomat also described Spain as a “very welcoming” nation and that he’d had “five wonderful but turbulent years” here.
It’s true that Elliott was British ambassador through some unpredictable times. He oversaw the embassy during both the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit negotiations, including the seemingly never-ending driving licence debacle which kept UK licence holders off the roads in Spain for 10 months.
READ ALSO: UK driving licence deal: How to exchange yours for a Spanish one
Yet Elliott seemed to make friends and build relations wherever he went around Spain. He speaks fluent Spanish as he is married to a Spanish woman (María Antonia Martín), used his time here to travel extensively around the country (he visited every province besides Almería and Badajoz) and posted online regularly on both serious and light-hearted matters.
In his Spanish farewell video he even made the tongue-in-cheek remark that his “greatest achievement is to have managed to leave Spain with considerably fewer kilos than I had when I arrived” despite Spain’s “marvellous gastronomy” and the doubtless hundreds of events and receptions he attended as part of his official duties over the years.
The British diplomat may have shed some of that extra weight as his last challenge during his tenure was to run 100 kilometres to raise money for multiple sclerosis.
Elliott took to Twitter/X to wish his successor luck in their new role:
“Thank you very much for your kindness and welcome during these 5 years as British ambassador in Spain. And all the best to my successor @AlexWEllis who you can follow on social media from now on. See you soon!”
Muchas gracias por vuestro cariño y acogida en estos 5 años como embajador 🇬🇧 en 🇪🇸. Y toda la suerte del mundo a mi sucesor @AlexWEllis a quien podéis seguir en redes desde ya. ¡Hasta pronto! pic.twitter.com/X0JGQiN1QH
— Hugh Elliott (@HughElliottUK) September 4, 2024
Who is Alex Ellis?
Elliott will be replaced by Sir Alexander Wykeham Ellis KCMG, who previously worked as the British ambassador in Brazil and Portugal and was also British High Commissioner in India.
Ellis was educated at Winchester College, one of England’s most prestigious private schools where former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was educated, and then Magdalene College, Cambridge.
Between 2003 and 2005, Ellis was Madrid based in his British Embassy role as Counsellor for EU and Global Issues.
Following the Brexit referendum he also worked for two years in the department responsible for the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, something that may have factored into his appointment as Gibraltar is still yet to finalise a Brexit deal some eight years after the vote.
READ MORE: Hard border? What we know so far about new Gibraltar-Spain checks
Another issue that Ellis may work to improve relations on is a potential youth mobility scheme between Spain and the UK floated as an idea by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to his British counterpart Keir Starmer at a political summit over the summer.
READ ALSO: Can Spain and the UK legally create a ‘free movement scheme’ for young people?
Member comments