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{{Short description|British diplomat (born 1967)}}
{{Short description|Former British diplomat (born 1967)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
{{Infobox officeholder
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| monarch = [[Elizabeth II]]<br>[[Charles III]]
| monarch = [[Elizabeth II]]<br>[[Charles III]]
| term_start = 1 October 2018
| term_start = 1 October 2018
| term_end = 2023
| term_end = December 2023
| predecessor = [[Kirsty Hayes]]
| predecessor = [[Kirsty Hayes]]
| successor =
| successor = Lisa Bandari
| primeminister = {{ubl|[[Theresa May]]|[[Boris Johnson]]|[[Liz Truss]]|[[Rishi Sunak]]}}
| primeminister = {{ubl|[[Theresa May]]|[[Boris Johnson]]|[[Liz Truss]]|[[Rishi Sunak]]}}
<!--Personal life-->
<!--Personal life-->
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}}
}}


'''Christopher James Sainty''' (born 29 March 1967) is a British [[diplomat]] and civil servant. He was [[List of Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Portugal|British Ambassador to Portugal]] from 2018 to 2023.<ref name="GOV">{{cite web | url = https://www.gov.uk/government/people/chris-sainty |website= GOV.UK| title = British Ambassador to Portugal Chris Sainty | accessdate = 2 February 2019}}</ref>
'''Christopher James Sainty''' (born 29 March 1967) is a former British [[diplomat]] and civil servant. He was [[List of Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Portugal|British Ambassador to Portugal]] from 2018 to 2023.<ref name="GOV">{{cite web | url = https://www.gov.uk/government/people/chris-sainty |website= GOV.UK| title = British Ambassador to Portugal Chris Sainty | accessdate = 2 February 2019}}</ref>


==Early life and education==
==Early life and education==
Sainty was born on 29 March 1967 in [[London]], England, as the first son of [[John Sainty (civil servant)|Sir John Sainty]] and Lady Frances Sainty. He was educated at [[Westminster School]], an all-boys [[Public school (United Kingdom)|public school]] attached to [[Westminster Abbey]].<ref name="WW 2019">{{cite web |title=Sainty, Christopher James |url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-290402 |website=[[Who's Who 2019]] |publisher=Oxford University Press |accessdate=2 February 2019 |doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U290402 |date=1 December 2018}}</ref> He studied mathematics and philosophy at [[New College, Oxford]], graduating with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] (BA) degree.<ref name="GOV" /><ref name="WW 2019" />
Sainty was born on 29 March 1967 in [[London]], England, as the first son of [[John Sainty (civil servant)|Sir John Sainty]] and Lady Frances Sainty. He was educated at [[Westminster School]], an all-boys [[Public school (United Kingdom)|public school]] attached to [[Westminster Abbey]].<ref name="WW 2019">{{cite web |title=Sainty, Christopher James |url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-290402 |website=[[Who's Who 2019]] |publisher=Oxford University Press |accessdate=2 February 2019 |doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U290402 |date=1 December 2018|doi-broken-date=31 January 2024 }}</ref> He studied mathematics and philosophy at [[New College, Oxford]], graduating with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] (BA) degree.<ref name="GOV" /><ref name="WW 2019" />


==Career==
==Career==
Sainty entered the [[Foreign and Commonwealth Office]] (FCO) in 1989, beginning his career as a [[diplomat]].<ref name="WW 2019" />
Sainty entered the [[Foreign and Commonwealth Office]] (FCO) in 1989, beginning his career as a [[diplomat]].<ref name="WW 2019" />


He was [[Deputy Head of Mission]] in [[The Hague]] from 2006 to 2008, and in Rome from August 2011 to August 2015.<ref name="GOV" /><ref name="WW 2019" /> From 2018 to 2023, he served as the [[British Ambassador to Portugal]].<ref name="new">{{cite web |title=Chris Sainty is the new British Ambassador to Portugal |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/chris-sainty-is-the-new-british-ambassador-to-portugal |website=GOV.UK |publisher=British Embassy Lisbon |accessdate=2 February 2019 |language=en |date=8 October 2018}}</ref>
He was [[Deputy chief of mission|Deputy Head of Mission]] in [[The Hague]] from 2006 to 2008, and in Rome from August 2011 to August 2015.<ref name="GOV" /><ref name="WW 2019" /> From 2018 to 2023, he served as the [[British Ambassador to Portugal]].<ref name="new">{{cite web |title=Chris Sainty is the new British Ambassador to Portugal |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/chris-sainty-is-the-new-british-ambassador-to-portugal |website=GOV.UK |publisher=British Embassy Lisbon |accessdate=2 February 2019 |language=en |date=8 October 2018}}</ref><ref name=Times>{{Cite news |last=Madrid |first=Isambard Wilkinson |date=2024-01-10 |title=Coronavirus: British ambassador's piano strikes a chord in Portugal |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/coronavirus-british-ambassadors-piano-strikes-a-chord-in-portugal-c0dv0chc8 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200507221732/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/coronavirus-british-ambassadors-piano-strikes-a-chord-in-portugal-c0dv0chc8 |archive-date=7 May 2020 |access-date=2024-01-10 |work=[[The Times]] |language=en |issn=0140-0460}}</ref>

On 25 April 2020, during the [[COVID-19]] pandemic, he won the appreciation of the Portuguese people with online videos of his playing on the piano the two songs that had been used on the radio by the revolutionaries to secretly signal the beginning of the 1974 [[Carnation Revolution]], [[Paulo de Carvalho]]'s ''[[E Depois do Adeus]]'' (Portugal's entry in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest) and ''[[Grândola, Vila Morena]]'', a song by [[Zeca Afonso]], a singer who was largely banned from Portuguese radio at the time. The Revolution overthrew the ''[[Estado Novo (Portugal)|Estado Novo]]'' dictatorship. Sainty said that he decided to film himself playing these songs "for fun" and didn't expect the reaction he received, which was thousands of messages of thanks.<ref name=Times/><ref>{{cite news |title=O embaixador que comoveu Portugal na pandemia ao tocar a Grândola ao piano |url=https://www.dn.pt/1601091291/o-embaixador-que-comoveu-portugal-na-pandemia-ao-tocar-a-grandola-ao-piano/ |access-date=14 January 2024 |agency=Diário de Notícias |date=9 January 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=A fond farewell from the piano playing diplomat |url=https://18n.theportugalnews.com/news/2024-01-12/a-fond-farewell-from-the-piano-playing-diplomat/84975 |access-date=17 January 2024 |agency=The Portugal News |date=12 January 2024}}</ref>

Sainty left his ambassadorial post at the end of 2023. At the beginning of May 2024 it was announced that he was to become the Chief Executive Officer of the English-language newspaper, ''[[The Portugal News]]'', with the aim of expanding the paper's coverage from the [[Algarve]] to [[Lisbon]] and [[Porto]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Former UK Ambassador to be new CEO of The Portugal News |url=https://www.theportugalnews.com/news/2024-05-03/former-uk-ambassador-to-be-new-ceo-of-the-portugal-news/88366 |access-date=3 May 2024 |publisher=The Portugal News |date=3 May 2024}}</ref>


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
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{{s-bef|before=[[Kirsty Hayes]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Kirsty Hayes]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Portugal|British Ambassador to Portugal]]|years=2018–2023}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Portugal|British Ambassador to Portugal]]|years=2018–2023}}
{{s-inc}}
{{s-aft|after=Lisa Bandari}}
{{s-end}}
{{s-end}}


Latest revision as of 17:20, 3 May 2024

His Excellency
Chris Sainty
British Ambassador to Portugal
In office
1 October 2018 – December 2023
MonarchsElizabeth II
Charles III
Prime Minister
Preceded byKirsty Hayes
Succeeded byLisa Bandari
Personal details
Born (1967-03-29) 29 March 1967 (age 57)
London, England
Children3
Parent
EducationWestminster School
Alma materNew College, Oxford (BA)
OccupationDiplomat

Christopher James Sainty (born 29 March 1967) is a former British diplomat and civil servant. He was British Ambassador to Portugal from 2018 to 2023.[1]

Early life and education[edit]

Sainty was born on 29 March 1967 in London, England, as the first son of Sir John Sainty and Lady Frances Sainty. He was educated at Westminster School, an all-boys public school attached to Westminster Abbey.[2] He studied mathematics and philosophy at New College, Oxford, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree.[1][2]

Career[edit]

Sainty entered the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 1989, beginning his career as a diplomat.[2]

He was Deputy Head of Mission in The Hague from 2006 to 2008, and in Rome from August 2011 to August 2015.[1][2] From 2018 to 2023, he served as the British Ambassador to Portugal.[3][4]

On 25 April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he won the appreciation of the Portuguese people with online videos of his playing on the piano the two songs that had been used on the radio by the revolutionaries to secretly signal the beginning of the 1974 Carnation Revolution, Paulo de Carvalho's E Depois do Adeus (Portugal's entry in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest) and Grândola, Vila Morena, a song by Zeca Afonso, a singer who was largely banned from Portuguese radio at the time. The Revolution overthrew the Estado Novo dictatorship. Sainty said that he decided to film himself playing these songs "for fun" and didn't expect the reaction he received, which was thousands of messages of thanks.[4][5][6]

Sainty left his ambassadorial post at the end of 2023. At the beginning of May 2024 it was announced that he was to become the Chief Executive Officer of the English-language newspaper, The Portugal News, with the aim of expanding the paper's coverage from the Algarve to Lisbon and Porto.[7]

Personal life[edit]

Sainty is married to Sarah. Together they have three children: two daughters and a son.[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "British Ambassador to Portugal Chris Sainty". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Sainty, Christopher James". Who's Who 2019. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2018. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U290402 (inactive 31 January 2024). Retrieved 2 February 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of January 2024 (link)
  3. ^ "Chris Sainty is the new British Ambassador to Portugal". GOV.UK. British Embassy Lisbon. 8 October 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  4. ^ a b Madrid, Isambard Wilkinson (10 January 2024). "Coronavirus: British ambassador's piano strikes a chord in Portugal". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Archived from the original on 7 May 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  5. ^ "O embaixador que comoveu Portugal na pandemia ao tocar a Grândola ao piano". Diário de Notícias. 9 January 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  6. ^ "A fond farewell from the piano playing diplomat". The Portugal News. 12 January 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  7. ^ "Former UK Ambassador to be new CEO of The Portugal News". The Portugal News. 3 May 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by British Ambassador to Portugal
2018–2023 		Succeeded by
Lisa Bandari
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chris_Sainty&oldid=1222063344"