Portuguese Centenary Appeal becomes registered charity in England and Wales
London December 2019. The Charity Commission of England and Wales, has registered on 23 December 2019 The Portuguese Centenary Appeal as…
Strengthening Anglo-Portuguese Friendship by celebrating our Oldest Alliance
The Portuguese Appeal
Under the High Patronage of His Excellency The President of the Portuguese Republic, The Portuguese Appeal celebrates the centuries old partnership between the United Kingdom and Portugal. The Appeal will promote greater public awareness of the oldest unbroken diplomatic alliance existing today in the world between two peoples and two nations established by the Treaty of Windsor signed in 1386. It will lead to new initiatives aimed at bringing the British and Portuguese people, our cities, communities and cultures closer together and better understood.
This Appeal seeks to raise funds to erect a life size statue of Portugal’s last king and much loved London resident, King Manuel II, as well as renovate the Church of St James’s in Twickenham as a new spiritual centre for the Portuguese in London.
Projects
Creation of a First World War Memorial
Until April 2018, there was no memorial to the Portuguese fallen of the Great War in Britain.
In honour of the Portuguese casualties, it was agreed that a commissioned stained glass window would be placed in St James’s Church in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames which for over 100 years has maintained a strong connection with Portugal. St James’s Church was also the favoured chapel of the exiled Portuguese king Manuel II in the first half of the twentieth century.
Statue of HM King Manuel II in London
King Manuel played an important part in maintaining the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance whilst on the Throne and when in exile. He supported Portugal’s alignment with the Allies in 1916.
King George V of Great Britain invited the exiled King and Queen to share the victory podium in 1919.
The proposed statue of King Manuel II, to be erected in Twickenham, will serve to promote his local and national connections in Britain. It will also offer public recognition for the significant contribution he played in the war effort and his care for the war victims. It will also serve to further celebrate and highlight yet another prominent player in the centuries old Anglo-Portuguese alliance.
Restoration of Church of St James, Twickenham
St James’s is a Roman Catholic Church in Twickenham on the corner of Popes Grove and Radnor Road in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.
The church was a place of worship for the exiled King Manuel II of Portugal and his wife, Queen Augusta Victoria, who had an important impact on the church and local community.
The Anglo-Portuguese connection is also marked in the church by two magnificent stained glass windows situated at the front of the church, which were donated by King Manuel II. The stained glass displays the Royal Arms of Portugal with the caption Santo António de Lisboa, rogas por nós = St Anthony of Lisbon pray for us.
Latest News
Read more about the The Portuguese Appeal advances
Portuguese Centenary Appeal becomes a registered charity in England and Wales.
London – December 2019. The Charity Commission of England and Wales, has registered on 23 December 2019 The Portuguese Centenary Appeal…
Minister of Culture sends message of support to Portuguese Appeal
Lisbon – September 2019. The Minister of Culture of Portugal, Dr Graça Fonseca, sent a message of support to the…