Antony Acland

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For the Jesuit, see Anthony Acland (Jesuit). For the British Army officer, see Sir Antony Guy Acland, 5th Baronet.
Sir Antony Acland
KG GCMG GCVO
Sir Antony Acland.jpg
Sir Antony Acland in the robes of a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter
Principal Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary
In office
1972–1975
Preceded by John Graham
Succeeded by Stephen Barrett
9th UK Ambassador to Luxembourg
In office
1975–1977
Monarch Queen Elizabeth II
Prime Minister Harold Wilson
James Callaghan
Preceded by John Roper
Succeeded by The Lord Wright of Richmond
UK Ambassador to Spain
In office
1977–1980
Monarch Queen Elizabeth II
Prime Minister James Callaghan
Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by Sir Charles Wiggin
Succeeded by Sir Richard Parsons
Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
In office
1982–1986
Monarch Queen Elizabeth II
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by Sir Michael Palliser
Succeeded by The Lord Wright of Richmond
UK Ambassador to the United States
In office
1986–1991
Monarch Queen Elizabeth II
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
John Major
Preceded by Sir Oliver Wright
Succeeded by Sir Robin Renwick
Personal details
Born Anthony Arthur Acland
(1930-03-12) March 12, 1930 (age 94)
Nationality British
Spouse(s) Clare Anne Verdon (1956-1984)
Jennifer McGougan (1987)
Education Eton College
Alma mater Christ Church, Oxford
Awards Knight of the Order of the Garter (2001)
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (1986)
Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (1991)

Sir Antony Arthur Acland KG GCMG GCVO (born 12 March 1930) is a British former diplomat and Provost of Eton College.

Early life

Antony Acland is the second son of Brigadier Peter Acland. He was educated at Eton College, then in 1948 joined the Royal Artillery with a post-war "emergency commission".[1] After short army service he went up to Christ Church, Oxford, gaining a BA degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics in 1953 (later upgraded to MA). After leaving Oxford in 1953 he went straight into the Foreign Office (FO).[2]

Career

After studying at the Middle East Centre for Arab Studies, Acland was posted to Dubai and then Kuwait, then back to the FO as Assistant Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary (Selwyn Lloyd, then Lord Home) 1959–62. He then served at the UK Mission to the UN, first in New York 1962–66, then at Geneva 1966–68. Back at the FCO he was head of the Arabian department 1970–72.

Acland was Principal Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary (Sir Alec Douglas-Home, then James Callaghan) 1972–75. He was Ambassador to Luxembourg 1975–77[3] and to Spain 1977–79. He was Deputy Under-Secretary at the FCO 1979–82, a post which then entailed chairing the Joint Intelligence Committee. In 1982 he was promoted to Permanent Under-Secretary and head of the Diplomatic Service. Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands in April 1982 and Acland came into collision with the Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, over the diplomatic response. At one point during a heated discusion he threatened to resign, whereupon Thatcher backed down and said 'All right, no more Foreign Office bashing.'[4]

Acland was Ambassador to the United States at Washington, D.C., 1986–91, then retired from the Diplomatic Service and was Provost of Eton College 1991–2000.[5]

Acland was a member of the Founding Council of the Rothermere American Institute at Oxford, helping to raise funds for the Institute's building and library.[6]

Honours

Acland was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 1976 New Year Honours[7] and made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in November of that year after Queen Elizabeth's state visit to Luxembourg,[8] after which he was styled "Sir Anthony Acland". He was given the additional knighthood of Knight Commander of the Order of St Michale and St George in 1982 and promoted to Knight Grand Cross of that same order in 1986 and Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order in 1991.[9] He was Chancellor of the between 1994 and 2005.[10] In 2001 he was given the rare honour of appointment as a Knight of the Order of the Garter.[11]

Personal life

In 1956 Acland married Clare Anne Verdon; they had two sons and a daughter. She died in 1984 and in 1987 he married Jennifer McGougan.

Arms of Antony Acland
Coat of Arms of Antony Arthur Acland.svg
Notes
Knight since 1986
Crest
Upon a hand Argent and Sable, a falcon Argent.
Torse
Mantling Sable doubled Argent.
Escutcheon
Chequy Argent and Sable a fess Gules in chief a mullet of five points Argent.
Orders
The Order of the Garter circlet.[12][13][14]

Ancestry

Family of Antony Acland
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 16. Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, 10th Baronet
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 8. Sir Henry Acland, 1st Baronet
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 17. Lydia Elizabeth Hoare
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 4. Col. Alfred Dyke Acland
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 18. William Cotton
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 9. Sarah Cotton, Lady Acland
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 19. Sarah Lane
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2. Brig. Peter Acland
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 20. William Henry Smith
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 10. William Henry Smith
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 21. Mary Ann Cooper
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 5. Hon. Beatrice Danvers Smith
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 22. Frederick Dawes Danvers
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 11. Emily Danvers, Viscountess Hambleden
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 23. Charlotte Maria Rawlinson
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1. Sir Antony Acland
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 24. George Henry Barnett
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 12. Henry Barnett
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 25. Elizabeth Canning
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 6. Rev. Herbert Walter Barnett
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 26. John Stratton
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 13. Emily Ann Stratton
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 27. Frances Maria Jodrell
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 3. Bridget Susan Barnett
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 28. Rev. Thomas Prowse Lethbridge
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 14. Charles Lethbridge
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 29. Isabella Escott
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 7. Mary Lethbridge
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 30. George John Yarburgh
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 15. Susan Anne Yarburgh
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 31. Mary Antonia Hilton
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sources

References

  1. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 38520. p. 442. 25 January 1949.
  2. ↑ BDOHP interview, p.2
  3. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 46681. p. 11464. 11 September 1975.
  4. ↑ BDOHP interview, p.33
  5. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 52592. p. 10098. 2 July 1991.
  6. ↑ Founding Council, Rothermere American Institute
  7. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 46777. p. 4. 30 December 1975.
  8. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 47074. p. 15755. 23 November 1976.
  9. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 52557. p. 8957. 11 June 1991.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Honours and Awards, The Gazette, 23 April 2001
  12. ↑ Anthony Acland's banner of arms image, Heraldic Sculptor. Retrieved 20 December 2013
  13. ↑ Banner image. St George-Windsor. Retrieved 20 December 2013
  14. ↑ Anthony Acland's crest image. Retrieved 20 December 2013


Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Principal Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary
1972–1975		 Succeeded by
Stephen Barrett
Preceded by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
1975–1977		 Succeeded by
Patrick Wright
Preceded by Ambassador to Spain
1977–1980		 Succeeded by
Sir Richard Parsons
Preceded by Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
1982–1986		 Succeeded by
Sir Patrick Wright
Preceded by Ambassador to the United States
1986–1991		 Succeeded by
Sir Robin Renwick
Academic offices
Preceded by Provost of Eton
1991–2000		 Succeeded by
Sir Eric Anderson
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom
Preceded by as a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter Gentlemen
as a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter		 Succeeded by
Sir John Major
as a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter
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