Arnaud de Borchgrave facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arnaud de Borchgrave
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Arnaud de Borchgrave receiving the Legion of Honour in July 2014
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| Born |
Count Arnaud Charles Paul Marie Philippe de Borchgrave
26 October 1926 Brussels, Belgium
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| Died | 15 February 2015 (aged 88) Washington, D.C., U.S.
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| Resting place | Rock Creek Cemetery Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | International journalism |
| Relatives | Sir Charles Townshend (grandfather) Count Louis Cahen d'Anvers (great-grandfather) George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend (4x great-grandfather) |
| Honours | National Order of the Legion of Honour |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
 Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1942–1946 |
| Battles/wars | Second World War |
| Awards |
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Arnaud Charles Paul Marie Philippe de Borchgrave (born October 26, 1926 – died February 15, 2015) was a famous journalist from Belgium and America. He was known for reporting on international politics and world events. During his long career, he covered 17 wars over 30 years as a foreign correspondent for Newsweek magazine. Later, he held important jobs at The Washington Times and United Press International (UPI). He also helped start Newsmax Media.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Arnaud de Borchgrave was born in Brussels, Belgium. His family, the De Borchgrave d'Altena, were part of the Belgian nobility. His father, Baudouin de Borchgrave d'Altena, later led military intelligence for the Belgian government during World War II. His mother, Audrey Dorothy Louise Townshend, was British. Her father was Major General Charles Vere Ferrers Townshend. Arnaud was also related to other important historical figures.
He went to school in Belgium, England, and the United States. In 1940, when Nazi Germany invaded Belgium during World War II, Arnaud and his family had to escape on a ship. A British warship rescued them after their freighter tried to go to a German port.
Career Journey
From 1942 to 1946, during much of World War II, Arnaud de Borchgrave served in the British Royal Navy. He was only 15 years old when he joined! He convinced his grandmother to help him change his age on paper so he could enlist. For his service, Belgium awarded him the Maritime Medal.
Becoming a Journalist
Working at Newsweek
In 1947, Borchgrave started his journalism career as the manager of the United Press office in Brussels. By 1950, he became the main reporter for Newsweek magazine in Paris. He later became a senior editor for the magazine in 1953.
Osborn Elliott, a former editor of Newsweek, once said that Borchgrave had a special role in world events. He could talk to many world leaders and understand their thoughts. Even though he was close to important people, he always stayed neutral in arguments. Elliott believed Borchgrave helped promote world peace and understanding.
As a correspondent for Newsweek, Borchgrave got to interview many world leaders. For example, in 1969, he interviewed both President Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt and Prime Minister Levi Eshkol of Israel.
In 1972, during the Vietnam War, he traveled to Hanoi in North Vietnam to interview Prime Minister Pham Van Dong. This interview was very important because Dong talked about a "coalition of transition" for a peace deal. This made South Vietnam worried and might have played a part in them rejecting the deal.
In 1980, Borchgrave also wrote a novel called The Spike with Robert Moss.
Leading The Washington Times and UPI
In March 1985, Arnaud de Borchgrave became the top editor, or editor-in-chief, of The Washington Times. Later, in the late 1990s, he became the CEO of United Press International (UPI), which was the company he worked for at the start of his career.
At UPI, Borchgrave decided to change the company's focus. UPI used to be famous for providing news to radio stations. But Borchgrave believed that this was no longer the best path. He wanted UPI to focus on delivering specialized news and information online, like newsletters for experts in technology or diplomacy. So, UPI sold its radio news services to its rival, the Associated Press (AP).
The next year, Borchgrave helped sell UPI to News World Communications. This company was founded by Sun Myung Moon, who also started The Washington Times.
After his time as CEO of UPI, Borchgrave continued to write columns for The Washington Times and UPI as an "Editor-at-Large." He also worked as a project director and senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a research organization. He also wrote for The Globalist, an online magazine.
Borchgrave was one of the people who helped create Newsmax Media. He was also part of the Foreign Policy Association, where he sometimes spoke at events.
As a journalist, Borchgrave interviewed many important world leaders, including presidents, prime ministers, and kings and queens. One of his most notable interviews was with Mullah Omar, a key figure, just three months before the September 11 attacks. This interview was very important for leaders around the world and is considered one of UPI's greatest achievements.
Questions About His Writing
In 2012, some questions were raised about whether parts of Borchgrave's columns in The Washington Times were too similar to other published works. A blogger from The Washington Post pointed out these similarities. Borchgrave explained the situations, but some organizations still had doubts.
The Washington Times announced that Borchgrave would take a break to finish his memoirs while they looked into his work. Some of his recent columns were removed from the newspaper's website. The Center for Strategic and International Studies also investigated his work published under their name. Borchgrave denied any wrongdoing.
French Legion of Honor Award
In July 2014, Arnaud de Borchgrave received a special honor from France. He was made a knight in the Legion of Honour, which is one of France's highest awards.
Personal Life
In 1969, Arnaud de Borchgrave married Alexandra Villard. She is the daughter of a famous ambassador and author, Henry Serrano Villard. Alexandra Villard is also a published author herself.
Death
Arnaud de Borchgrave passed away on February 15, 2015, in Washington, D.C., at the age of 88. He died from bladder cancer.
See also
- Legion of Honour
- Legion of Honour Museum
- List of Legion of Honour recipients by name (A)
- Ribbons of the French military and civil awards
Images for kids
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Ribbon of the Knight of the Legion of Honour
