Anglican clergyman Lord Robert Alexander Kennedy Runcie was born in 1921 in the UK. In 1945, he crossed the Netherlands as a tank commander of the Scots Guards. Archbishop Runcie received an award for his bravery during Operation Market Garden. He took part in the liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. This experience left a solid impression. In his acceptance speech after the presentation of the Freedom of Worship Award, Archbishop Runcie referred to his experiences during the liberation. "From Maastricht to Nijmegen, and from Breda to Venlo, I know the map better than that of some regions in my own country," he said. The archbishop also mentioned the destruction and reconstruction of Middelburg. He used this as an example of how a disaster can lead to something new.

Runcie became Bishop of St Albans in 1970 and Archbishop of Canterbury nine years later. With this, Archbishop Runcie became Primate of all England. In 1982, he knelt with Pope John Paul II in Canterbury Cathedral. Archbishop Runcie went through difficult debates during his tenure. These included the place of women in church ministry and dealing with homosexual believers. He had to choose between his free and conservative views. On his retirement as archbishop in 1991, Runcie was appointed Baron Runcie of Cuddesdon. He became a member of the House of Lords as Lord Spiritual. In 2000, Baron Runcie of Cuddesdon died in the United Kingdom.