Patrick Wright, Baron Wright of Richmond
Encyclopedia
Patrick Richard Henry Wright, Baron Wright of Richmond GCMG
(born 28 June 1931) is a retired British
diplomat and former Head of HM Diplomatic Service
.
. Having served in the Royal Artillery
in 1950 and 1951, he went up to Merton College, Oxford
where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
in literae humaniores
in 1955.
from 1956 to 1957. He was posted as Third Secretary in the British Embassy in Beirut
from 1958 to 1960. Between 1960 and 1965, he was Private Secretary
to the Ambassador and First Secretary
in the Washington DC Embassy, between 1965 and 1967 Private Secretary to the FCO's Permanent Under-Secretary of State (PUSS) and First Secretary and Head of Chancery in the British Embassy in Cairo
between 1967 and 1970. Wright was Deputy Political Resident in Bahrain
in 1971 and 1972, Head of Middle East Department in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
from 1972 to 1974, and Private Secretary
(Overseas Affairs) to two Prime Ministers, Harold Wilson
and James Callaghan
from 1974 to 1977. In 1977, Patrick Wright was appointed Ambassador to Luxembourg and to Syria
in 1979, where he remained until 1981. He was Deputy Under-Secretary of State at the FCO
from 1982 to 1984.
Sir Patrick Wright was appointed Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 1984 to 1986. For the next four years he combined the roles of PUSS at the FCO
and Head of HM Diplomatic Service until he retired in 1991.
until 2000, of Unilever
until 1999 and of BAA until 1998.
Between 1993 and 2002, he was a member of the Security Commission
. He was a member of the Council of Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs) from 1992 to 1999, and chairman from 1995 to 1999. He was Member of Council of Atlantic College
between 1993 and 2000, and of the Royal College of Music
from 1991 to 2001. Since 1986, Wright has been Governor of the Ditchley Foundation
. From 1991 to 2001, he was a Governor of Wellington College
, from 1991 to 1995 Registrar of the Most Venerable Order of St John of Jerusalem
, and Director of Overseas Relations from 1995 to 1997. He is a founding trustee of the UK-based family support charity Home-Start International
, of which he was Chairman from 2004 to 2007.
In 1978, Wright was made a Commander
of the Order of St Michael and St George
(CMG), a Knight Commander (KCMG) in 1984, and a Knight Grand Cross (GCMG) in 1989. One year later he became a Knight
of the Order of St John (KStJ). On 10 February 1994, he was created a life peer
with the title Baron Wright of Richmond, of Richmond upon Thames in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
.
(1964) and one daughter, Olivia (1963).
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(born 28 June 1931) is a retired British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
diplomat and former Head of HM Diplomatic Service
Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service
Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service is the diplomatic service of the United Kingdom, dealing with foreign affairs, as opposed to the Home Civil Service, which deals with domestic affairs...
.
Background
Patrick Wright, the son of Herbert and Rachel Wright, was educated at Marlborough CollegeMarlborough College
Marlborough College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils, located in Marlborough, Wiltshire.Founded in 1843 for the education of the sons of Church of England clergy, the school now accepts both boys and girls of all beliefs. Currently there are just over 800...
. Having served in the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
in 1950 and 1951, he went up to Merton College, Oxford
Merton College, Oxford
Merton College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, chancellor to Henry III and later to Edward I, first drew up statutes for an independent academic community and established endowments to...
where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in literae humaniores
Literae Humaniores
Literae Humaniores is the name given to an undergraduate course focused on Classics at Oxford and some other universities.The Latin name means literally "more humane letters", but is perhaps better rendered as "Advanced Studies", since humaniores has the sense of "more refined" or "more learned",...
in 1955.
Diplomatic career
He joined HM Diplomatic Service in 1955 and went to study Arabic at MECAS in the LebanonLebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
from 1956 to 1957. He was posted as Third Secretary in the British Embassy in Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
from 1958 to 1960. Between 1960 and 1965, he was Private Secretary
Private Secretary
In the United Kingdom government, a Private Secretary is a civil servant in a Department or Ministry, responsible to the Secretary of State or Minister...
to the Ambassador and First Secretary
Diplomatic rank
Diplomatic rank is the system of professional and social rank used in the world of diplomacy and international relations. Over time it has been formalized on an international basis.-Ranks:...
in the Washington DC Embassy, between 1965 and 1967 Private Secretary to the FCO's Permanent Under-Secretary of State (PUSS) and First Secretary and Head of Chancery in the British Embassy in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
between 1967 and 1970. Wright was Deputy Political Resident in Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
in 1971 and 1972, Head of Middle East Department in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
from 1972 to 1974, and Private Secretary
Private Secretary
In the United Kingdom government, a Private Secretary is a civil servant in a Department or Ministry, responsible to the Secretary of State or Minister...
(Overseas Affairs) to two Prime Ministers, Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
and James Callaghan
James Callaghan
Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC , was a British Labour politician, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980...
from 1974 to 1977. In 1977, Patrick Wright was appointed Ambassador to Luxembourg and to Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
in 1979, where he remained until 1981. He was Deputy Under-Secretary of State at the FCO
FCO
FCO may mean:*Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the United Kingdom's Ministry of Foreign Affairs*Ferro Carril Oeste, a football club of Buenos Aires and the eponymous railway*Financial Control Officer, a controller...
from 1982 to 1984.
Sir Patrick Wright was appointed Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 1984 to 1986. For the next four years he combined the roles of PUSS at the FCO
FCO
FCO may mean:*Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the United Kingdom's Ministry of Foreign Affairs*Ferro Carril Oeste, a football club of Buenos Aires and the eponymous railway*Financial Control Officer, a controller...
and Head of HM Diplomatic Service until he retired in 1991.
Post retirement
In 1991, Lord Wright became Director of Barclays Bank until 1996, of British Petroleum (BP) until 2001, of De La RueDe La Rue
De La Rue plc is a British security printing, papermaking and cash handling systems company headquartered in Basingstoke, Hampshire. It also has a factory on the Team Valley Trading Estate, Gateshead, and other facilities at Loughton, Essex and Bathford, Somerset...
until 2000, of Unilever
Unilever
Unilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products....
until 1999 and of BAA until 1998.
Between 1993 and 2002, he was a member of the Security Commission
Security Commission
The Security Commission is a UK non-departmental public body established in 1964 to investigate breaches of security in the public sector.Current members are:*The Rt Hon Lady Justice Butler-Sloss, DBE...
. He was a member of the Council of Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs) from 1992 to 1999, and chairman from 1995 to 1999. He was Member of Council of Atlantic College
Atlantic College
The United World College of the Atlantic, also known as Atlantic College, is an international IB Diploma Programme boarding school in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1962, the school was the first of the United World Colleges and was among the first schools in the world to follow an international...
between 1993 and 2000, and of the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
from 1991 to 2001. Since 1986, Wright has been Governor of the Ditchley Foundation
Ditchley Foundation
The Ditchley Foundation is a British organisation based at Ditchley House near Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, which aims to promote international relations, especially Anglo-American relations, through a programme of around fifteen annual conferences on matters of international interest...
. From 1991 to 2001, he was a Governor of Wellington College
Wellington College, Berkshire
-Former pupils:Notable former pupils include historian P. J. Marshall, architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, impressionist Rory Bremner, Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge, author Sebastian Faulks, language school pioneer John Haycraft, political journalist Robin Oakley, actor Sir Christopher...
, from 1991 to 1995 Registrar of the Most Venerable Order of St John of Jerusalem
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
, and Director of Overseas Relations from 1995 to 1997. He is a founding trustee of the UK-based family support charity Home-Start International
Home-Start International
Home-Start International is a worldwide family support organization. Home-Start works with people who have parenting experience to support local parents....
, of which he was Chairman from 2004 to 2007.
Honours
In 1978, Wright was made a Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
of the Order of St Michael and St George
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(CMG), a Knight Commander (KCMG) in 1984, and a Knight Grand Cross (GCMG) in 1989. One year later he became a Knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
of the Order of St John (KStJ). On 10 February 1994, he was created a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
with the title Baron Wright of Richmond, of Richmond upon Thames in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames is a London borough in South West London, UK, which forms part of Outer London. It is unique because it is the only London borough situated both north and south of the River Thames.-Settlement:...
.
Family
Patrick Wright married Virginia Anne Gaffney in 1958. They have two sons, Marcus (1959) and AngusAngus Wright (actor)
-Biography:Angus Wright was born in Washington, D.C., the youngest child of Virginia and Patrick Wright. His father's career in the British Diplomatic Service took the family to the Lebanon, the United States, the U.K., Egypt, Bahrain, Luxembourg, Syria and Saudi Arabia.Angus gained an M.A...
(1964) and one daughter, Olivia (1963).