Sir Ronald William Graham, (24 July 1870 – 26 January 1949) was a British diplomat and the British Ambassador to Italy from 1921 to 1933.

Early life

Graham was born in London 24 July 1870, the eldest son of Sir Henry John Lowndes Graham by his first wife Lady Edith Elizabeth Gathorne-Hardy (d. 1875), daughter of Lord Cranbrook. He was educated at

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

Diplomatic service

In 1892 Graham joined the

British Diplomatic Service His Majesty's Diplomatic Service (HMDS) is the diplomatic service of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, dealing with foreign affairs and representing British interests overseas, as opposed to the Civil Service, which deals ...

with his first foreign post at Paris. In 1902, he was promoted to first secretary and worked at the Eastern Department of the Foreign Office, before moving to Cairo as a Counsellor. After a period as Minister at the Hague, he was sworn into Privy Council in 1921 and appointed Ambassador to Italy. He was the British representative during the Fascist Revolution of 1922 when

Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...

came to power. Graham retired in November 1933 and became a trustee of the British Museum from 1937.

Personal life

Graham married Lady Sybil Brodrick, the daughter of the Earl of Midleton in January 1912. Lady Sybil, who was

Maid of honour A maid of honour is a junior attendant of a queen in royal households. The position was and is junior to the lady-in-waiting. The equivalent title and office has historically been used in most European royal courts. Tudors and Stuarts Traditi ...

to Queen Mary from 1911 to 1912, was the sister of George Brodrick, 2nd Earl of Midleton. His wife died six months after Graham retired and they had no children. Graham died at his home in London aged 78 in 1949.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Graham, Ronald William 1870 births 1949 deaths Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Civil servants from London Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Italy People educated at Eton College Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Grand Officers of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus