Sir Michael Aidan Pakenham (born 3 November 1943) is a British retired diplomat.

Background and education

Pakenham is the third son of Labour politician Frank Pakenham, 7th Earl of Longford, and Elizabeth Harman. He is the brother of Thomas Pakenham, Lady Antonia Fraser and Lady Rachel Billington. He was educated at Ampleforth College and Trinity College, Cambridge, and was an exchange fellow at Rice University.

Career

Pakenham was briefly a reporter for the '' Washington Post'' before joining the

Foreign Office Foreign may refer to: Government * Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries ** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government ** Foreign office and foreign minister * United ...

in 1965. He served in

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and

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

before being seconded to the

Cabinet Office The Cabinet Office is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for supporting the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, prime minister and Cabinet ...

1971–74 as Assistant Private Secretary, then Private Secretary, to the

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is a ministerial office in the Government of the United Kingdom. Excluding the prime minister, the chancellor is the highest ranking minister in the Cabinet Office, immediately after the prime minister ...

(

Geoffrey Rippon Aubrey Geoffrey Frederick Rippon, Baron Rippon of Hexham, (28 May 1924 – 28 January 1997) was a British Conservative Party politician. He is most known for drafting the European Communities Act 1972 which took the United Kingdom into the E ...

then John Davies), who at that time had special responsibilities for the co-ordination of British policy towards the

European Communities The European Communities (EC) were three international organizations that were governed by the same set of Institutions of the European Union, institutions. These were the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), the European Atomic Energy Co ...

. In 1974 Pakenham was at the CSCE in Geneva, then was posted to New Delhi 1974–78 and Washington, D.C. 1978–1983. He was Head of the Arms Control and Disarmament Department at the

Foreign and Commonwealth Office The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is the ministry of foreign affairs and a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the government of the United Kingdom. The office was created on 2 ...

1983–87; Counsellor (External Relations) to the UK Permanent Representative to the

European Community The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organisation created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisbo ...

, Brussels, 1987–91; Ambassador and Consul-General to Luxembourg 1991–94; and Minister in Paris 1994–97. Pakenham was then seconded to the Cabinet Office again as Deputy Secretary for Defence and Overseas Affairs 1997–99, then Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee 1997–2000 (also

Intelligence Co-ordinator The Intelligence Co-ordinator, later Security and Intelligence Co-ordinator, was a senior post in the Cabinet Office of the British Civil Service that oversaw the intelligence services and their relationship to the government. Post holders *1968� ...

1999–2000). Finally, he was posted to

as Ambassador to Poland 2001–03. Pakenham was appointed a Companion of the

Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV), while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III ...

(CMG) in 1993 and a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the

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in 2003. He was made a

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in 1992. Since retiring from the Diplomatic Service, Pakenham has been chairman of Pakenvest International; senior adviser to

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; non-executive director of the

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; a trustee of Chevening House; and a lay member of the governing Council of

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...

(and its vice-chairman since 2009).

Personal life

Pakenham married Mimi Lavine (born Meta Doak) in 1980; they have two daughters.

References

The Hon Sir Michael Pakenham, KBE, CMG
Authorised Biography – Debrett's People of Today
PAKENHAM, Hon. Sir Michael (Aidan)
Who's Who 2012, A & C Black, 2012; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2011
The Hon Sir Michael Pakenham
King's College, London {{DEFAULTSORT:Pakenham, Michael 1943 births Living people People educated at Ampleforth College Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Rice University fellows The Washington Post journalists Members of HM Diplomatic Service Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Luxembourg Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Poland Fellows of King's College London People associated with King's College London Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Younger sons of earls

Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * he He ..., a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name * Michael (bishop elect)">Michael (surname)">he He ..., a given nam ...

Sons of life peers 20th-century British diplomats 21st-century British diplomats