Menna Rawlings
Dame Menna Rawlings | |
|---|---|
 | |
| British Ambassador to France | |
| Assumed office 23 August 2021 | |
| Monarchs | Elizabeth II Charles III |
| Prime Minister | Boris Johnson Liz Truss Rishi Sunak Keir Starmer |
| Preceded by | The Lord Llewellyn of Steep |
| British High Commissioner to Australia | |
| In office 2015–2019 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Prime Minister | David Cameron Theresa May |
| Preceded by | Paul Madden |
| Succeeded by | Victoria Treadell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Menna Frances Hornung 16 September 1967 Hillingdon, Middlesex, England |
| Spouse | Mark John Rawlings |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | London School of Economics (BSc) |
Dame Menna Frances Rawlings DCMG CVO (née Hornung;[1] born 16 September 1967) is a British diplomat serving as British Ambassador to France since 2021. Previously British High Commissioner to Australia from 2015 to 2019,[2] she then served as Director General of Economic and Global Issues at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from 2019 to 2020.
Career
[edit]Menna Hornung read International Relations at the London School of Economics, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree, before joining the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1989. In her early career, she served in London, as well as Brussels, Nairobi and Tel Aviv.[3]
From 2002 to 2004, she served as private secretary to the Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, then until 2008 she was posted as deputy high commissioner to Ghana at Accra.[2] After three years in Washington, D.C. as HM Consul General, in 2011 she was posted back to the FCO in London as director for human resources, remaining there until 2014.[3] From 2015 to 2018 she served as British High Commissioner to Australia, before again returning to London in 2019, being promoted to Director General of Economic and Global Issues at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. She served in the role until 2020.
In April 2021, the Government nominated Rawlings for the role of British Ambassador to France, to take office in summer 2021.[4] News of her appointment coincided with reporting that for the first time, every British ambassador or high commissioner to a G7 country would be a woman.[5] She entered the role on 23 August 2021.[6] During her tenure in Paris, King Charles III and Queen Camilla paid a state visit to France in September 2023.
Already a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG), she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (DCMG) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to British foreign policy.[7] She was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in September 2023 in connection with His Majesty’s State Visit to France.[8]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ GRO; Volume: 26; Page: 14
- ^ a b "Her Excellency Menna Rawlings CMG". GOV.UK. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
- ^ a b Rawlings, Menna Frances, (born 16 Sept. 1967), HM Diplomatic Service; High Commissioner to Australia, since 2015; ukwhoswho.com. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U258231. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4.
- ^ "Change of Her Majesty's Ambassador to France: Menna Rawlings". GOV.UK (Press release). 29 April 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- ^ Wintour, Patrick (29 April 2021). "New UK ambassador to France means women hold all key postings". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- ^ Rawlings, Menna [@MennaRawlings] (23 August 2021). "First day as HM Ambassador to France" (Tweet). Retrieved 23 August 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ "No. 63571". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 2022. p. N3.
- ^ "French state visit honours". London Gazette. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- 1967 births
- Living people
- People from the London Borough of Hillingdon
- Alumni of the London School of Economics
- British women ambassadors
- High commissioners of the United Kingdom to Australia
- Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to France
- Dames Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
- Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order