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Menna Rawlings

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British diplomat

Her ExcellencyDame Menna RawlingsDCMG CVO
British Ambassador to France
Incumbent
Assumed office
23 August 2021
MonarchsElizabeth II
Charles III
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Liz Truss
Rishi Sunak
Keir Starmer
Preceded byThe Lord Llewellyn of Steep
British High Commissioner to Australia
In office
2015–2019
MonarchElizabeth II
Prime MinisterDavid Cameron
Theresa May
Preceded byPaul Madden
Succeeded byVictoria Treadell
Personal details
BornMenna Frances Hornung
(1967-09-16) 16 September 1967 (age 57)
Hillingdon, Middlesex, England
SpouseMark John Rawlings
Children3
Alma materLondon School of Economics (BSc)

Dame Menna Frances Rawlings DCMG CVO (née Hornung; born (1967-09-16)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, she then served as Director General of Economic and Global Issues at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from 2019 to 2020.

Career

Menna Hornung studied International Relations at the London School of Economics, earning a Bachelor of Science degree before joining the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1989. Early in her career, she held posts in London, Brussels, Nairobi and Tel Aviv.

From 2002 to 2004, she served as private secretary to the Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. She was then deputy high commissioner to Ghana at Accra until 2008. Following three years as HM Consul General in Washington, D.C., she returned to London in 2011 as director for human resources at the FCO, a role she held until 2014. From 2015 to 2018, she was British High Commissioner to Australia, before becoming Director General of Economic and Global Issues at the FCO in 2019, serving until 2020.

In April 2021, the Government nominated her as British Ambassador to France, and she assumed the role on 23 August 2021. Her appointment marked the first time all British ambassadors or high commissioners to G7 countries were women. During her tenure in Paris, King Charles III and Queen Camilla made a state visit to France in September 2023.

Already a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG), she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (DCMG) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to British foreign policy. She was also appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in September 2023 in connection with His Majesty’s State Visit to France.

See also

References

  1. GRO; Volume: 26; Page: 14
  2. ^ "Her Excellency Menna Rawlings CMG". GOV.UK. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. "Change of Her Majesty's Ambassador to France: Menna Rawlings". GOV.UK (Press release). 29 April 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  5. Wintour, Patrick (29 April 2021). "New UK ambassador to France means women hold all key postings". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  6. Rawlings, Menna (23 August 2021). "First day as HM Ambassador to France" (Tweet). Retrieved 23 August 2021 – via Twitter.
  7. "No. 63571". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 2022. p. N3.
  8. "French state visit honours". London Gazette. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded byPaul Madden British High Commissioner to
Australia
2015–2019 		Succeeded byVictoria Treadell
Preceded byThe Lord Llewellyn of Steep British Ambassador to France
2021–present 		Incumbent
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