Principal Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

The principal private secretary to the secretary of state for foreign and Commonwealth affairs is the head of the private office of the foreign minister of His Majesty's Government, and is located in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Main Building.

History

At the start of the 19th century, the foreign secretary would have had one or two private secretaries, who were often personal appointments of the office-holder. As the complexity of British foreign policy grew significantly, and consequently the size of the private office expanded to provide policy and administrative support; the chief civil servant in the private office became the principal private secretary. Today, he or she is the head of a small department, and the post is a senior and prestigious one, now typically held for a two-year term by an experienced officer from the Diplomatic Service.^{[ citation needed ]}

The post is director grade equivalent in the Civil Service (SCS2), and also equivalent to a rear admiral in the Royal Navy and major general in the British Army. Holders of the post often go on to hold some of the most senior ambassador posts overseas, and also often honoured with a knighthood.^{[ citation needed ]}

This list below shows holders' names as they were at the time of holding the post; details of their later careers and honours can be found in individual articles. In addition, the list includes holders of the posts of private secretary to the secretary of state for foreign affairs and then principal private secretary to the secretary of state for foreign affairs (1822-1968). The office of secretary of state for foreign and Commonwealth affairs was created in 1968, by the merger of the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office's secretary of state's offices.^{[ citation needed ]}

Principal private secretaries

• 1822: George Seymour
• 1822–1824: Lord George Bentinck
• 1824–1827: Augustus Stapleton
• 1827–1830: Digby Wrangham
• 1830–1833: John Walpole
• 1833–1834: Stephen Sulivan
• 1834–1835: Algernon Greville
• 1835–1840: Charles Cowper
• 1840–1841: James Howard
• 1841–1846: Clinton Dawkins
• 1846–1852: Spencer Ponsonby
• 1852: George Harris
• 1852–1853: Arthur Russell
• 1853–1857: Spencer Ponsonby (Second term)
• 1857–1858: Villiers Lister
• 1858–1859: John Bidwell
• 1859–1865: George Elliot
• 1865–1866: Villiers Lister (Second term)
• 1866–1868: Thomas Sanderson
• 1868–1870: Villiers Lister (Third term)
• 1870–1871: Robert Meade
• 1871–1874: Thomas Wetherell
• 1874–1878: Thomas Sanderson (Second term)
• 1878–1880: Philip Currie
• 1880–1885: Thomas Sanderson (Third term)
• 1885–1886: Eric Barrington ^[1]
• 1886: Francis Hyde Villiers
• 1886–1892: Eric Barrington (Second term)
• 1892–1894: Francis Hyde Villiers (Second term)
• 1894–1895: Armine Wodehouse
• 1895–1905: Sir Eric Barrington (Third term)
• 1906–1907: Louis du Pan Mallet ^[2]
• 1907–1915: Sir William Tyrrell ^[3]
• 1915–1919: Sir Eric Drummond ^[4]
• 1920–1924: Robert Vansittart ^[5]
• 1924–1932: Sir Walford Selby ^[6]
• 1932–1935: Horace Seymour ^[7]
• 1936–1939: Oliver Harvey ^[8]
• 1939–1941: Ralph Stevenson ^[9]
• 1941–1943: Oliver Harvey (Second term)
• 1943–1947: Pierson Dixon ^[10]
• 1947–1949: Frank Roberts ^[11]
• 1949–1951: Roderick Barclay ^[12]
• 1951–1954: Evelyn Shuckburgh ^[13]
• 1954–1955: Sir Anthony Rumbold ^[14]
• 1955–1956: Patrick Hancock ^[15]
• 1956–1959: Denis Laskey ^[16]
• 1959–1963: Ian Samuel ^[17]
• 1963: Oliver Wright ^[18]
• 1963–1965: Nicholas Henderson ^[19]
• 1965–1967: Murray MacLehose ^[20]
• 1967–1969: Donald Maitland ^[21]
• 1969–1972: John Graham ^[22]
• 1972–1975: Antony Acland ^[23]
• 1975: Stephen Barrett ^[24]
• 1975–1978: Ewen Fergusson ^[25]
• 1978–1981: George Walden ^[26]
• 1981–1984: Brian Fall ^[27]
• 1984–1986: Leonard Appleyard ^[28]
• 1986–1988: Anthony Galsworthy ^[29]
• 1988–1990: Stephen Wall ^[30]
• 1990–1993: Richard Gozney ^[31]
• 1993–1995: John Sawers ^[32]
• 1995–1997: William Ehrman ^[33]
• 1997–1999: John Grant ^[34]
• 1999–2001: Sherard Cowper-Coles ^[35]
• 2001–2003: Simon McDonald ^{[36] [37]}
• 2003–2005: Geoffrey Adams ^{[38] [39]}
• 2005–2007: Peter Hayes ^{[40] [41]}
• 2007–2010: Matthew Gould ^[42]
• 2010–2012: Lindsay Croisdale-Appleby ^{[43] [44]}
• 2012–2014: Thomas Drew ^[45]
• 2014–2018: Martin Reynolds ^[46]
• January–June 2018: Jonathan Sinclair ^[47]
• June 2018–April 2019: Serena Stone ^[48]
• June 2019 -January 2021: Susannah Goshko ^[49]
• January 2021 – present: Nick Catsaras

See also

• Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
  • Private Secretary for Foreign Affairs to the Prime Minister

References

1. A & C Black (1918). "BARRINGTON, Hon. Sir (Bernard) Eric (Edward)". Who Was Who, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
2. A & C Black (1936). "MALLET, Rt Hon. Sir Louis du Pan". Who Was Who, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
3. A & C Black (1947). "TYRRELL, 1st Baron". Who Was Who, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
4. A & C Black (1951). "PERTH, 16th Earl of". Who Was Who, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
5. A & C Black (1957). "VANSITTART, 1st Baron". Who Was Who, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
6. A & C Black (1965). "SELBY, Sir Walford Harmood Montague". Who Was Who, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
7. A & C Black (1978). "SEYMOUR, Sir Horace James". Who Was Who, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
8. A & C Black (1968). "HARVEY OF TASBURGH, 1st Baron (UK)". Who Was Who, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
9. A & C Black (1977). "STEVENSON, Sir Ralph Clarmont Skrine". Who Was Who, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
10. A & C Black (1965). "DIXON, Sir Pierson (John)". Who Was Who, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
11. A & C Black (1998). "ROBERTS, Sir Frank (Kenyon)". Who Was Who, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
12. A & C Black (1996). "BARCLAY, Sir Roderick (Edward)". Who Was Who, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
13. A & C Black (1994). "SHUCKBURGH, Sir (Charles Arthur) Evelyn". Who Was Who, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
14. A & C Black (1983). "RUMBOLD, Sir (Horace) Anthony (Claude)". Who Was Who, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
15. A & C Black (1980). "HANCOCK, Sir Patrick". Who Was Who, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
16. A & C Black (1987). "LASKEY, Sir Denis (Seward)". Who Was Who, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
17. A & C Black (2010). "SAMUEL, Adrian Christopher Ian". Who Was Who, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
18. A & C Black (2009). "WRIGHT, Sir (John) Oliver". Who Was Who, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
19. A & C Black (2009). "HENDERSON, Sir (John) Nicholas". Who Was Who, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
20. A & C Black (2000). "MacLEHOSE OF BEOCH, Baron". Who Was Who, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
21. A & C Black (2010). "MAITLAND, Sir Donald (James Dundas)". Who Was Who, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
22. A & C Black (2012). "GRAHAM, Sir John (Alexander Noble)". Who's Who 2012, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
23. A & C Black (2012). "ACLAND, Sir Antony (Arthur)". Who's Who 2012, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
24. A & C Black (2012). "BARRETT, Sir Stephen (Jeremy)". Who's Who 2012, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
25. A & C Black (2012). "FERGUSSON, Sir Ewen (Alastair John)". Who's Who 2012, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
26. A & C Black (2012). "WALDEN, George Gordon Harvey". Who's Who 2012, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
27. A & C Black (2012). "FALL, Sir Brian (James Proetel)". Who's Who 2012, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
28. A & C Black (2012). "APPLEYARD, Sir Leonard (Vincent)". Who's Who 2012, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
29. A & C Black (2012). "GALSWORTHY, Sir Anthony (Charles)". Who's Who 2012, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
30. A & C Black (2012). "WALL, Sir (John) Stephen". Who's Who 2012, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
31. A & C Black (2012). "GOZNEY, Sir Richard Hugh Turton". Who's Who 2012, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
32. A & C Black (2012). "SAWERS, Sir (Robert) John". Who's Who 2012, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
33. A & C Black (2012). "EHRMAN, Sir William (Geoffrey)". Who's Who 2012, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
34. A & C Black (2012). "GRANT, Sir John Douglas Kelso". Who's Who 2012, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
35. A & C Black (2012). "COWPER-COLES, Sir Sherard (Louis)". Who's Who 2012, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
36. A & C Black (2012). "McDONALD, Simon Gerard". Who's Who 2012, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
37. "Appointment of new Permanent Under Secretary to the FCO". GOV.UK. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
38. A & C Black (2012). "ADAMS, Sir Geoffrey (Doyne)". Who's Who 2012, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
39. "Change of His Majesty's Ambassador to Egypt in September 2018". GOV.UK. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
40. A & C Black (2012). "HAYES, Dr Peter Richard". Who's Who 2012, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
41. "Dr Peter Hayes". GOV.UK. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
42. A & C Black (2012). "GOULD, Matthew Steven". Who's Who 2012, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
43. A & C Black (2015). "CROISDALE-APPLEBY, Lindsay". Who's Who 2015, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
44. "Lindsay Croisdale-Appleby CMG". GOV.UK. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
45. "Thomas Drew CMG". GOV.UK. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
46. "Martin Reynolds". GOV.UK. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
47. "Jonathan Sinclair LVO". GOV.UK. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
48. "Serena Stone MBE". GOV.UK. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
49. "Susannah Goshko". GOV.UK. Retrieved 25 January 2020.

External links

• Mackie, Colin (2016) "A Directory of British Diplomats" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2013.