OBE for interfaith champion

THE INTERFAITH and charity campaigner Anthony Bailey, 38, received the OBE last month for his interfaith and charity work.
The ceremony, which took place at Buckingham Palace, was conducted by the Prince of Wales on behalf of the Queen. The award’s citation records Mr Bailey’s long-standing service to “interfaith relations and to charity”.
Among his many voluntary and charity roles include those with Painting and Patronage, the Anglican Church’s United Learning Trust, the Belfast crosscommunity Forthspring Inter-Community Centre, the Roman Catholic Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St George, the Three Faith Forum, the British-Moroccan Society and the British-Saudi Society.
Mr Bailey is a foundation governor of the archdiocese of Westminster. Since 2002 he has been a member of the ministerial task force for Gifted and Talented Education of the Department for Children, Schools and Families. In recent years Mr Bailey has been honoured by over 10 foreign governments for his work – most recently by Portugal, Morocco and Bulgaria.
He was knighted in 2004 by Pope John Paul II for his contribution to furthering inter-faith dialogue and understanding across eastern Europe and the Arab world. Anthony Bailey commented: “To be recognised in this way is a particularly humbling experience and to receive my award from the Prince of Wales, who is himself devoted to furthering more meaningful understanding among the followers of faith, was particularly special.
“I am delighted that the work of so many causes and charities which I have the honour to be associated with has also been recognised through this award.” Anthony Bailey was accompanied to the investiture ceremony by his wife, Princess Marie-Therese von Hohenberg, his parents from Waterford, Ireland, Colin and Veronica Bailey, and his father-in-law, Prince Peter von Hohenberg of Austria – grandson of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary, whose assassination in 1914 led to the outbreak of World War One.