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An Anglo-Malagasy chronology |
Below is a timeline summarising key events in relations between the United Kingdom and Madagascar, alongside the history of the Anglo-Malagasy Society.
1645 – Under Captain John Bond, a British attempt to settle Saint Augustine’s Bay (near Toliara) is unsuccessful.
4 February 1817 – A Treaty of Amity, Commerce and Navigation is signed between Radama (king of the Merina), governor of Mauritius Sir Robert Farquhar and British envoy Captain Lesage.
23 October 1817 – Radama and Sir Robert Farquhar sign a treaty of friendship formally recognising the former as king of all Madagascar and forbidding the export of slaves from the island.
18 August 1818 – The first missionaries of the London Missionary Society (LMS) arrive in Madagascar: David Jones and Thomas Bevan, both Welshmen, land at Toamasina following a 27-week journey that included a five-week stop in Mauritius.
31 January 1819 – Thomas Bevan dies, as do his wife and child within the space of a fortnight. They are buried in Toamasina.
11 October 1820 – King Radama I and James Hastie, civil agent of the British government, sign additional articles to the treaty of October 1817.
5 May 1942 – Seizure of the port of Diego-Suarez (Antsiranana) by British forces, codenamed Operation Ironclad, marking the start of the Battle of Madagascar, a campaign to capture the island from Vichy French control in order to deny Madagascar's ports to the Imperial Japanese Navy and protect Allied shipping routes during World War II.
26 June 1960 – Madagascar gains independence from France. British Consul General Andrew Ronalds becomes Ambassador to the newly independent Madagascar.
1961 – John Street is appointed British Ambassador to Madagascar.
4 August 1961 – Jean-Pierre Razafy-Andriamihaingo is appointed Malagasy Ambassador to UK.
19 October 1961 – Anglo-Malagasy Society founded at the Palace of Westminster by Jack Duke (Lord Merrivale) and Reginald Colby, who were elected as the Society's first Chairman and Secretary respectively.
1963 – Alan Horn is appointed British Ambassador to Madagascar.
1967 – Mervyn Brown is appointed British Ambassador to Madagascar.
1969 – Reginald Colby dies, and is succeeded as Secretary of the Society by Margaret Burke of the Society of Friends; Frank Horsfall takes her place as Treasurer.
1970 – Timothy Crosthwait is appointed British Ambassador to Madagascar.
1975 – Mervyn Brown (High Commissioner to Tanzania) is appointed non-resident British Ambassador to Madagascar.
22 December 1976 – Britain donates ten refuse trucks to help with Toamasina’s municipal problems.
1978 – Peter Moon (High Commissioner to Tanzania) is appointed non-resident British Ambassador to Madagascar.
25 January 1980 – Richard Langridge appointed British Ambassador to Madagascar as the Embassy reopens.
1981 – The Malagasy Ambassador to France, Henri Raharijaona, is appointed non-resident Ambassador to the UK.
1984 – Malcolm McBain is appointed British Ambassador to Madagascar.
1987 – Anthony Hayday is appointed British Ambassador to Madagascar.
1990 – Dennis Amy is appointed British Ambassador to Madagascar.
1993 – Peter Smith is appointed British Ambassador to Madagascar.
1996 – Robert Dewar is appointed British Ambassador to Madagascar.
1999 – Charles Mochan is appointed British Ambassador to Madagascar.
30 November – 1 December 1999 – Official visit to Madagascar by Princess Anne, HRH The Princess Royal.
2002 – Brian Donaldson is appointed British Ambassador to Madagascar.
August 2005 – British Embassy in Madagascar is closed for budgetary reasons, despite a vigorous campaign against the decision backed by several former ambassadors. Anthony Godson (British High Commissioner to Mauritius) is appointed non-resident British Ambassador.
2007 – John Murton (British High Commissioner to Mauritius) is appointed non-resident British Ambassador to Madagascar.
2010 – Nicholas Leake (British High Commissioner to Mauritius) is appointed non-resident Chargé d’Affaires to Madagascar.
February 2011 – Malagasy Embassy in the UK is closed.
13 June 2012 – Chris Brown succeeds Stuart Edgill as Chairman of the Society, and Daniel Austin becomes the new Secretary.
October 2012 – British Embassy in Madagascar reopens, with Timothy Smart appointed Ambassador.
22–27 October 2017 – Official visit to Madagascar by Princess Anne, HRH The Princess Royal, during which she was honoured with the Grand Cross 2nd Class of the National Order of Madagascar in a ceremony by President Hery Rajaonarimampianina.
4 September 2017 – Following six years of closure, the Malagasy Embassy in London is reopened by President Hery Rajaonarimampianina. During his week-long visit, he also visits The National Archives to view the 1817 Treaty of Friendship; participates in a UK-Madagascar Trade & Investment Forum; has the honour of officially opening the London Stock Exchange on 7 September; lunches with Prince Andrew, Duke of York, at Buckingham Palace; and awards Sir David Attenborough the Commander of the National Order of the Republic of Madagascar for his work in conservation.
5 November 2017 – Phil Boyle is appointed British Ambassador to Madagascar.
6 November 2017 – The British Group Inter-Parliamentary Union makes a five-day visit to Madagascar. The delegation comprises Chris Leslie and Liz McInnes for Labour, Liberal Democrat peers Joan Walmsley and Martin Thomas, and Conservatives Sir David Amess and Tim Loughton.
21 April 2018 – Chevening Alumni Madagascar association founded.
29 August 2018 – Andriniaina Bretino Raharinomena is appointed Malagasy Ambassador to the UK, but is removed from post just six months later (along with ten other key ambassadors and consuls around the world) shortly after Andry Rajoelina is elected president.
December 2020 – David Ashley is appointed British Ambassador to Madagascar.
1645 – Under Captain John Bond, a British attempt to settle Saint Augustine’s Bay (near Toliara) is unsuccessful.
4 February 1817 – A Treaty of Amity, Commerce and Navigation is signed between Radama (king of the Merina), governor of Mauritius Sir Robert Farquhar and British envoy Captain Lesage.
23 October 1817 – Radama and Sir Robert Farquhar sign a treaty of friendship formally recognising the former as king of all Madagascar and forbidding the export of slaves from the island.
18 August 1818 – The first missionaries of the London Missionary Society (LMS) arrive in Madagascar: David Jones and Thomas Bevan, both Welshmen, land at Toamasina following a 27-week journey that included a five-week stop in Mauritius.
31 January 1819 – Thomas Bevan dies, as do his wife and child within the space of a fortnight. They are buried in Toamasina.
11 October 1820 – King Radama I and James Hastie, civil agent of the British government, sign additional articles to the treaty of October 1817.
5 May 1942 – Seizure of the port of Diego-Suarez (Antsiranana) by British forces, codenamed Operation Ironclad, marking the start of the Battle of Madagascar, a campaign to capture the island from Vichy French control in order to deny Madagascar's ports to the Imperial Japanese Navy and protect Allied shipping routes during World War II.
26 June 1960 – Madagascar gains independence from France. British Consul General Andrew Ronalds becomes Ambassador to the newly independent Madagascar.
1961 – John Street is appointed British Ambassador to Madagascar.
4 August 1961 – Jean-Pierre Razafy-Andriamihaingo is appointed Malagasy Ambassador to UK.
19 October 1961 – Anglo-Malagasy Society founded at the Palace of Westminster by Jack Duke (Lord Merrivale) and Reginald Colby, who were elected as the Society's first Chairman and Secretary respectively.
1963 – Alan Horn is appointed British Ambassador to Madagascar.
1967 – Mervyn Brown is appointed British Ambassador to Madagascar.
1969 – Reginald Colby dies, and is succeeded as Secretary of the Society by Margaret Burke of the Society of Friends; Frank Horsfall takes her place as Treasurer.
1970 – Timothy Crosthwait is appointed British Ambassador to Madagascar.
1975 – Mervyn Brown (High Commissioner to Tanzania) is appointed non-resident British Ambassador to Madagascar.
22 December 1976 – Britain donates ten refuse trucks to help with Toamasina’s municipal problems.
1978 – Peter Moon (High Commissioner to Tanzania) is appointed non-resident British Ambassador to Madagascar.
25 January 1980 – Richard Langridge appointed British Ambassador to Madagascar as the Embassy reopens.
1981 – The Malagasy Ambassador to France, Henri Raharijaona, is appointed non-resident Ambassador to the UK.
1984 – Malcolm McBain is appointed British Ambassador to Madagascar.
1987 – Anthony Hayday is appointed British Ambassador to Madagascar.
1990 – Dennis Amy is appointed British Ambassador to Madagascar.
1993 – Peter Smith is appointed British Ambassador to Madagascar.
1996 – Robert Dewar is appointed British Ambassador to Madagascar.
1999 – Charles Mochan is appointed British Ambassador to Madagascar.
30 November – 1 December 1999 – Official visit to Madagascar by Princess Anne, HRH The Princess Royal.
2002 – Brian Donaldson is appointed British Ambassador to Madagascar.
August 2005 – British Embassy in Madagascar is closed for budgetary reasons, despite a vigorous campaign against the decision backed by several former ambassadors. Anthony Godson (British High Commissioner to Mauritius) is appointed non-resident British Ambassador.
2007 – John Murton (British High Commissioner to Mauritius) is appointed non-resident British Ambassador to Madagascar.
2010 – Nicholas Leake (British High Commissioner to Mauritius) is appointed non-resident Chargé d’Affaires to Madagascar.
February 2011 – Malagasy Embassy in the UK is closed.
13 June 2012 – Chris Brown succeeds Stuart Edgill as Chairman of the Society, and Daniel Austin becomes the new Secretary.
October 2012 – British Embassy in Madagascar reopens, with Timothy Smart appointed Ambassador.
22–27 October 2017 – Official visit to Madagascar by Princess Anne, HRH The Princess Royal, during which she was honoured with the Grand Cross 2nd Class of the National Order of Madagascar in a ceremony by President Hery Rajaonarimampianina.
4 September 2017 – Following six years of closure, the Malagasy Embassy in London is reopened by President Hery Rajaonarimampianina. During his week-long visit, he also visits The National Archives to view the 1817 Treaty of Friendship; participates in a UK-Madagascar Trade & Investment Forum; has the honour of officially opening the London Stock Exchange on 7 September; lunches with Prince Andrew, Duke of York, at Buckingham Palace; and awards Sir David Attenborough the Commander of the National Order of the Republic of Madagascar for his work in conservation.
5 November 2017 – Phil Boyle is appointed British Ambassador to Madagascar.
6 November 2017 – The British Group Inter-Parliamentary Union makes a five-day visit to Madagascar. The delegation comprises Chris Leslie and Liz McInnes for Labour, Liberal Democrat peers Joan Walmsley and Martin Thomas, and Conservatives Sir David Amess and Tim Loughton.
21 April 2018 – Chevening Alumni Madagascar association founded.
29 August 2018 – Andriniaina Bretino Raharinomena is appointed Malagasy Ambassador to the UK, but is removed from post just six months later (along with ten other key ambassadors and consuls around the world) shortly after Andry Rajoelina is elected president.
December 2020 – David Ashley is appointed British Ambassador to Madagascar.