Sharon Wardle (born 1964/5) is a British diplomat. She became the Ambassador to the Gambia in 2017. After the negotiations were complete to allow the Gambia to rejoin the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

, she became the High Commissioner to The Gambia from 2018 to 2020. From 2021 until 2025, she served as the Ambassador to Algeria.

Career

Wardle became a diplomat when she joined the

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development 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 ...

in 1985. She was the Ambassador to The Gambia from 2017, taking over from

Colin Crorkin Colin Wynn Crorkin, (born 31 January 1957) was the UK's Ambassador to the Gambia from 2014 to 2017. Early life Crorkin was born in Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council a ...

. She became ambassador at a time when the Gambia had left the Commonwealth. At her first meeting with the President she assured him that the UK was keen for the Gambia's application to rejoin to proceed. In January 2020, she was acting on behalf of

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

, giving the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

as a result the 2019 Special Honours. She awarded an OBE to Fatou Baldeh in recognition of her valuable efforts regarding advocating to ethnic communities in Scotland and a KBE to Professor Tumani Corrah. She was succeeded as the British ambassador in the Gambia by David Belgrove in August 2020. In 2021, she became the Ambassador to Algeria. She took over from Barry Lowen. Lowen became the ambassador in Mali. She noted that it had been a difficult three years for the country but that she was optimistic concerning Gambia's future. Wardle was noted for stating the UK's support for the international recognition of the emerging country of

Western Sahara Western Sahara is a territorial dispute, disputed territory in Maghreb, North-western Africa. It has a surface area of . Approximately 30% of the territory () is controlled by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR); the remaining 70% is ...

in 2022. Wardle's views on Algeria are reported in the local press. One report of a trip she made to Batna noted her liking for the local stew and flatbread

Chakhchoukha Chakhchoukha or chekhechoukha () is a traditional Algerian cuisine, Algerian dish made from torn or rolled pieces of cooked semolina dough that are served in a tomato-based sauce. The dish consists of small pieces of ''rougag'' (thin round flat ...

and the Roman city and

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

Timgad Timgad (, known as Marciana Traiana Thamugadi) was a Roman city in the Aurès Mountains of Algeria. It was founded by the Roman Emperor Trajan around 100 AD. The full name of the city was ''Colonia Marciana Ulpia Traiana Thamugadi''. Emperor ...

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wardle, Sharon 1960s births Living people Members of HM Diplomatic Service Ambassadors and high commissioners of the United Kingdom to the Gambia Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Algeria 20th-century British diplomats 21st-century British diplomats