Antony Acland
Sir Antony Acland KG GCMG GCVO | |
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![]() Sir Antony Acland in the robes of a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter | |
UK Ambassador to the United States | |
In office 1986–1991 | |
Monarch | Queen Elizabeth II |
Prime Minister |
Margaret Thatcher John Major |
Preceded by | Sir Oliver Wright |
Succeeded by | Sir Robin Renwick |
Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs | |
In office 1982–1986 | |
Monarch | Queen Elizabeth II |
Prime Minister | Margaret Thatcher |
Preceded by | Sir Michael Palliser |
Succeeded by | The Lord Wright of Richmond |
UK Ambassador to Spain | |
In office 1977–1980 | |
Monarch | Queen Elizabeth II |
Prime Minister |
James Callaghan Margaret Thatcher |
Preceded by | Sir Charles Wiggin |
Succeeded by | Sir Richard Parsons |
9th UK Ambassador to Luxembourg | |
In office 1975–1977 | |
Monarch | Queen Elizabeth II |
Prime Minister |
Harold Wilson James Callaghan |
Preceded by | John Roper |
Succeeded by | The Lord Wright of Richmond |
Principal Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary | |
In office 1972–1975 | |
Preceded by | John Graham |
Succeeded by | Stephen Barrett |
Personal details | |
Born |
Anthony Arthur Acland March 12, 1930 |
Nationality | British |
Spouse(s) |
Clare Anne Verdon (1956-1984) Jennifer McGougan (1987) |
Education | Eton College |
Alma mater | Christ Church, Oxford |
Awards |
Knight of the Order of the Garter (2001) Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (1986) Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (1991) |
Sir Antony Arthur Acland KG GCMG GCVO (born 12 March 1930) is a British former diplomat and Provost of Eton College.
Early life
Antony Acland is the second son of Brigadier Peter Acland. He was educated at Eton College, then in 1948 joined the Royal Artillery with a post-war "emergency commission".[1] After short army service he went up to Christ Church, Oxford, gaining a BA degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics in 1953 (later upgraded to MA). After leaving Oxford in 1953 he went straight into the Foreign Office (FO).[2]
Career
After studying at the Middle East Centre for Arab Studies, Acland was posted to Dubai and then Kuwait, then back to the FO as Assistant Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary (Selwyn Lloyd, then Lord Home) 1959–62. He then served at the UK Mission to the UN, first in New York 1962–66, then at Geneva 1966–68. Back at the FCO he was head of the Arabian department 1970–72.
Acland was Principal Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary (Sir Alec Douglas-Home, then James Callaghan) 1972–75. He was Ambassador to Luxembourg 1975–77[3] and to Spain 1977–79. He was Deputy Under-Secretary at the FCO 1979–82, a post which then entailed chairing the Joint Intelligence Committee. In 1982 he was promoted to Permanent Under-Secretary and head of the Diplomatic Service. Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands in April 1982 and Acland came into collision with the Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, over the diplomatic response. At one point during a heated discusion he threatened to resign, whereupon Thatcher backed down and said 'All right, no more Foreign Office bashing.'[4]
Acland was Ambassador to the United States at Washington, D.C., 1986–91, then retired from the Diplomatic Service and was Provost of Eton College 1991–2000.[5]
Acland was a member of the Founding Council of the Rothermere American Institute at Oxford, helping to raise funds for the Institute's building and library.[6]
Honours
Acland was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 1976 New Year Honours[7] and made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in November of that year after Queen Elizabeth's state visit to Luxembourg,[8] after which he was styled "Sir Anthony Acland". He was given the additional knighthood of Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 1982 Birthday Honours[9] and promoted to Knight Grand Cross of that same order in the 1986 Birthday Honours[10] and Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order in the 1991 Birthday Honours.[11] He was Chancellor of the between 1994 and 2005.[12] In 2001 he was given the rare honour of appointment as a Knight of the Order of the Garter.[13]
Titles and styles
- Antony Acland 1930-1976
- Antony Acland CMG January-November 1976
- Sir Antony Acland KCVO CMG November 1976-1982
- Sir Antony Acland KCMG KCVO 1982-1986
- Sir Antony Acland GCMG KCVO 1986-1991
- Sir Antony Acland GCMG GCVO 1991-2001
- Sir Antony Acland KG GCMG GCVO 2001-present
Personal life
In 1956 Acland married Clare Anne Verdon; they had two sons and a daughter. She died in 1984 and in 1987 he married Jennifer McGougan.
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Ancestry
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Sources
- ACLAND, Sir Antony (Arthur), Who's Who 2014, A & C Black, 2014 (online edition, Oxford University Press, 2014)
- Sir Antony Acland interviewed by Liz Cox on Monday 23 April 2001, British Diplomatic Oral History Programme (BDOHP), Churchill College, Cambridge
References
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 38520. p. 442. 25 January 1949.
- ↑ BDOHP interview, p.2
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 46681. p. 11464. 11 September 1975.
- ↑ BDOHP interview, p.33
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 52592. p. 10098. 2 July 1991.
- ↑ Founding Council, Rothermere American Institute
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 46777. p. 4. 30 December 1975.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 47074. p. 15755. 23 November 1976.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 49008. p. 4. 12 June 1982.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 50551. p. 3. 14 June 1986.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 52557. p. 8957. 11 June 1991.
- ↑ "Court Circular". Independent. 10 June 1994.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 56183. p. 4839. 23 April 2001.
- ↑ Anthony Acland's banner of arms image, Heraldic Sculptor. Retrieved 20 December 2013
- ↑ Banner image. St George-Windsor. Retrieved 20 December 2013
- ↑ Anthony Acland's crest image. Retrieved 20 December 2013
Diplomatic posts | ||
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Preceded by John Graham |
Principal Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary 1972–1975 |
Succeeded by Stephen Barrett |
Preceded by John Roper |
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg 1975–1977 |
Succeeded by Patrick Wright |
Preceded by Sir Charles Wiggin |
Ambassador to Spain 1977–1980 |
Succeeded by Sir Richard Parsons |
Preceded by Sir Michael Palliser |
Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs 1982–1986 |
Succeeded by Sir Patrick Wright |
Preceded by Sir Oliver Wright |
Ambassador to the United States 1986–1991 |
Succeeded by Sir Robin Renwick |
Academic offices | ||
Preceded by Lord Charteris of Amisfield |
Provost of Eton 1991–2000 |
Succeeded by Sir Eric Anderson |
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom | ||
Preceded by Sir William Gladstone, Bt as a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter |
Gentlemen as a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter |
Succeeded by Sir John Major as a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter |