LONDON (CU)_With Menna Rawlings being appointed as Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the French Republic on Thursday (29 April), for the first time in history, all of the UK’s most senior ambassadors are now female.
Other women who hold these key positions include Dame Karen Pierce in Washington, Caroline Wilson in Beijing, Julia Longbottom in Tokyo, Deborah Bronnert in Moscow, Jill Gallard in Berlin and Jill Morris in Rome. Meanwhile, the posts of UK envoys to the UN and NATO are also held by female representatives, namely Dame Barbara Woodward and Dame Sarah Mackintosh, respectively.
Moreover, Vicki Treadell is the High Commissioner in Canberra, a position which was previously held by Rawlings, from 2015 to 2019.
Until 1946, women were banned from holding ambassadorships by the UK Foreign Office. However, the first married female ambassador for UK was named only named in 1987, as women who held the role were required to resign if they decided to get married up until 1976.
Following the announcement of Rawlings’ appointment, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he was “delighted” over the news. He added that he looks forward to working with her when she takes up her post in the summer, when she will replace current UK ambassador to France, Lord Llewellyn of Steep.
