Rupert Howard Cornwell (22 February 1946 – 31 March 2017) was a British journalist connected with ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' newspaper for thirty years.

Early life and education

Born to Ronnie Cornwell and Jeanie Gronow (née Neal) in 1946 Marylebone, London, he was educated at

Winchester College Winchester College is an English Public school (United Kingdom), public school (a long-established fee-charging boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) with some provision for day school, day attendees, in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It wa ...

, and read Greek at

Magdalen College, Oxford Magdalen College ( ) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by Bishop of Winchester William of Waynflete. It is one of the wealthiest Oxford colleges, as of 2022, and ...

Career

Cornwell worked in advertising following graduation. He began his career in journalism with

Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency ...

in 1968. Cornwell was sent to the Brussels branch office, where he met his first wife, interpreter Angela Doria. They moved to Paris, where Cornwell joined the ''

Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...

'' as a foreign correspondent. From France, Cornwell and Doria moved to Rome, and Bonn. Cornwell was the first Moscow correspondent of ''The Independent'', from its launch in 1986. During this time, he won two

British Press Awards The Press Awards, formerly the British Press Awards, is an annual ceremony that celebrates the best of British journalism. History Established in 1962 by ''The People'' and '' World's Press News'', the first award ceremony for the then-named Ha ...

. Later in his career, Cornwell served as the Chief US Commentator at ''The Independent'' newspaper. His book ''God's Banker'', about

Roberto Calvi Roberto Calvi (13 April 1920 – 17 June 1982) was an Italian banker, dubbed "God's Banker" () by the press because of his close business dealings with the Holy See. He was a native of Milan and was chairman of Banco Ambrosiano, which collapsed ...

, an Italian banker found hanging from

Blackfriars Bridge Blackfriars Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge over the River Thames in London, between Waterloo Bridge and Blackfriars Railway Bridge, carrying the A201 road. The north end is in the City of London near the Inns of Court and Temple C ...

, was published in 1983.

Personal life

Cornwell was the half-brother of Anthony Cornwell and

John le Carré David John Moore Cornwell (19 October 193112 December 2020), better known by his pen name John le Carré ( ), was a British author, best known for his espionage novels, many of which were successfully adapted for film or television. A "sophist ...

(born David Cornwell), and the full brother of the actress

Charlotte Cornwell Charlotte Cornwell (26 April 1949 – 16 January 2021) was an English actress, singer, and a teacher of acting on the faculty at the University of Southern California (2003–2012). Cornwell began her career as an actress, making her debut for ...

. His first marriage, in 1972, was to European Parliament interpreter Angela Doria; they had a son, Sean (born 1974). In 1988, he married Susan Smith, whom he had met while in Bonn. They had a son, Stas. Rupert Cornwell died, aged 71, on 31 March 2017 at

Sibley Memorial Hospital Sibley Memorial Hospital is a non-profit hospital located in The Palisades neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, and is licensed by the District of Columbia D ...

in Washington D.C. from cancer.

References

External links

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Rupert Cornwell
at ''The Independent'' 1946 births 2017 deaths The Independent people Financial Times people Reuters people Deaths from cancer in Washington, D.C. British expatriates in the United States British expatriates in Belgium British expatriates in France British expatriates in Italy British expatriates in Germany People educated at Winchester College Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford 20th-century British journalists 21st-century British journalists {{UK-journalist-stub