On this occasion, Ambassador Marie Chatardová laid flowers at his former London residence in Putney, where he lived during the Second World War from 1938 to 1940. The Ambassador was accompanied by the current owners of the house, Mr and Mrs Williams, and Mrs Jana Burešová of the British Czech and Slovak Association, whose family were friends with the Beneš family.

From the foundation of Czechoslovakia, he served as Foreign Minister and in 1919-26 and 1929-35 a member of the National Assembly. In 1921-22 he served as Prime Minister. After the abdication of President Masaryk, he was elected the second President of the Czechoslovak state on 18 December 1935. As deputy chairman of the Czechoslovak National Socialist Party (he was a member in 1923-35), he greatly influenced its politics.

He was also at the birth of the League of Nations and, as its vice-president (1920), member of the Council (1923-27) and Security Committee, and chairman (1935), he promoted a policy of collective security.

After the Munich Agreement of 30 September 1938, he abdicated and went into exile, first to the United States and then to Great Britain. After the occupation of the Czech lands and the creation of the Slovak state in March 1939, he declared Munich invalid and advocated the theory of the legal continuity of Czechoslovakia. During the Second World War in London, with the help of the Czechoslovak government-in-exile, he sought to restore Czechoslovakia to its original borders.

He was confirmed in office on 28 October 1945 and re-elected president on 19 June 1946. Shortly after the communist coup in February 1948, he abdicated as president and died on 3 September 1948.