In PH, Laure Beaufils finds her roar—and leaves a mark
They say you’ll eventually find yourself exactly where you’re supposed to be. For United Kingdom Ambassador Laure Beaufils, this truth unfolded slowly over the years, shaped by choices she made.
“I wasn’t brought up in a family where I was encouraged to be ambitious for myself or for the world, for that matter. So I never, ever would have thought I’d be an ambassador. I would have been terrified of the thought of speaking to one,” she said in an interview at her residence in Forbes Park, Makati City.
What shifted her perspective was her time in Cambodia with the United Nations. In her 20s, she worked closely with women sex workers, survivors of violence and abuse, and those living with HIV—an experience that transformed her understanding of the world and her place in it.
“You start finding your roar. I use the word intentionally, especially when I’m asked to speak to young women because a lot of young women are shy and lack confidence. I was one of those,” she said. “But just because you’re like that as a young woman doesn’t mean that you won’t find your roar one day.”
Bridge between UK and PH
Her posting in the Philippines comes to an end next month and among the things she is bringing home with her are smaller photo print copies of four artworks that hang in her residence.
She recites the names of the artists from a piece of paper she had prepared in advance: Renz Botero, Natu Xantino, and Ram Botero. Beaufils remembered that I had asked about the pieces during my last visit to her home and she wanted to put the spotlight on the artists themselves.
The artworks were part of “Diwata,” a photographic exhibit on Philippine mythology commissioned for the Southeast Asian Queer Cultural Festival in 2021. It was the same year she was posted to the country.
“I just knew that I wanted those pictures on my wall. I’m now buying some smaller versions of those to take home to the UK,” she said. “They’ll still be a bridge to where I live in the UK and the life that I lived in the Philippines.”
To her, the pieces reflect the UK’s commitment to human rights, LGBTQIA+, and gender equality, while also honoring Filipino culture and history. She surprised the artists when she voiced her interest in purchasing photo prints of their works back then. The envoy was told that she was their first buyer.
“I’ve done that systematically over the last four years in trying to make this residence a safe space for people and celebrate the joy and the wonderful things that the LGBTQIA+ community brings to all of our lives,” she said.
On top of that, there were other thoughtful touches that she added to turn her sprawling residence into a home: fluffed pillows on leather couches, tropical wallpaper in the receiving area, and a gold-painted wall on the second floor.
“When I got here, this residence was like a Hilton lobby. Because all my predecessors were men, right?” Beaufils said. “So very nice, fancy pieces of furniture were here, but there was not a single cushion, not a single plant, not a single piece of color on the wall.”
Her display cabinets feature coffee table books and trinkets about the Philippines, including a wooden sculpture of a Philippine eagle.
Honest conversations
She hosted an afternoon tea for Lifestyle, serving a spread that included strawberries, mangoes, scones, cakes, and salmon sandwiches, all laid out on a Minton tea set. Beaufils personally served the fruit to everyone in the room before eating herself. This spoke volumes of her understanding of Filipino culture—that her guests won’t eat until she starts eating.
Beaufils—Laure, as she prefers to be called—made history as the first female British ambassador in the Philippines. She doesn’t care much for protocols and prefers honest conversations over people fawning over her.
“I actually think in terms of ambassadors, we put them in a different category. They’re not normal people (but) we’re all normal people,” she said. “It’s not whether we know how to eat with the right knife and fork but whether we’re authentic, trustworthy, and kind. That’s what matters more than whether we know how to dress and behave and all that.”
True to her words, she effortlessly shifted the focus from appearances to the impact she made during her time in the country—even as she smiled at the mention of her fresh haircut. This includes establishing how the UK, as a brand, is engaging, relevant, innovative, and trustworthy. She’s done things that have delivered real-life impact and quantifiable results that went beyond conferences or reports or books that gather dust on the shelves. This includes expanding work into issues like AI, AI ethics and governance, cyber issues, maritime security and climate change.
“Our education has been about making a difference for foundational learning. So outcomes again for young kids are improved. Our work on trade has been about ensuring that SMEs can export to the UK tariff-free,” she said. “And that’s what I’m proud of. And then lots of other bits and bobs.”
Legacy
Music is at the heart of cultural diplomacy. She acknowledges the soft power contributions of British artists locally such as Ed Sheeran, Arctic Monkeys, and Coldplay. When Harry Styles was here, Beaufils took her daughter to watch the concert. Her office even hosted The Great British Festival last year.
She initially didn’t want to reveal who her favorite Beatle is, but eventually indulged us by revealing that she leans toward Paul McCartney. It was when the conversation turned to the Spice Girls, though, that she truly lit up.
“I have, on quite a few occasions, dressed up as Ginger. I have sung quite a few times as Ginger Spice. With the dress, which is the Union Jack and the red boots up to here,” she said smiling as she pointed at the spot under her knees. She even went as Ginger to her sister’s birthday party just a couple of years ago.
In her four years in the country, she’s managed to avoid the balut and she’s perfectly happy to leave without ever giving it a try. It’s hilarious how she volunteered this information herself. But she is all praises for all the other Filipino dishes she’s had through the years. She also appreciates the local landscape.
Her family went to Siargao a few weeks ago and she told them to “soak it in, because you will never see this type of beauty again. I meant it, it’s really one of a kind in the world.”
Beaufils is not quite finished packing her things yet, but she will bring two framed photos gifted to her by Makati-based British photographer Justin James Wright. They have already been bubble-wrapped for the trip: one featuring a portrait of tattoo artist Apo Whang-Od, and the other capturing the chaos of Edsa traffic.
A smile forms when asked about her legacy in the country.
“A flower. So this is probably not the answer you were looking for, but I’m very, very privileged that UP Los Baños named a flower after me,” she said. “It’s a beautiful pink hibiscus.”
In September 2023, the Institute of Plant Breeding unveiled a new hibiscus hybrid which they described as vibrant carmine-pink that featured large cartwheel-shaped petals with delicate dark-pink lines and a silver-lined deep red core. They call it Hibiscus rosa sinensis or Laure Beaufils.
And so, this is how she will always be in the Philippines.
