Paul Wright (diplomat)
Encyclopedia
Sir Paul Hervé Giraud Wright KCM, OBE (12 May 1915 – 10 June 2005) was a British
diplomat
who served as ambassador
to the Democratic Republic of Congo and to Lebanon
.
His wife Beatrice
("Babs"), whom he married in 1942, had succeeded her late husband John Rathbone
as Member of Parliament
for Bodmin
, but did not contest the 1945 general election
. She bore him one child, and had two children by her previous marriage, including Tim
, who later become a Conservative MP.
However, Wright did contest the 1945 general election
as Liberal candidate for Bethnal Green North East
finishing second.
After retiring from the diplomatic service in 1975, Wright was appointed as honorary secretary general of the celebration committee for the Queen
’s Silver Jubilee
in 1977, and arranged the music for the occasion. He was a governor of Westminster School
and Westminster Cathedral
Choir School, and chairman of the Anglo-Lebanese Society.
His wife Beatrice died in 2003, two years before him. They had both converted to Roman Catholicism.
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
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
who served as ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to the Democratic Republic of Congo and to Lebanon
Lebanon
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...
.
His wife Beatrice
Beatrice Wright
Beatrice Frederika Wright, Lady Wright, née Clough, later Rathbone was an American-born British politician....
("Babs"), whom he married in 1942, had succeeded her late husband John Rathbone
John Rathbone (Bodmin)
John Rankin Rathbone was a British Conservative Party politician. A fighter pilot with the Royal Air Force, he was killed shortly after the Battle of Britain....
as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Bodmin
Bodmin (UK Parliament constituency)
Bodmin was the name of a parliamentary constituency in Cornwall from 1295 until 1983. Initially, it was a parliamentary borough, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England and later the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until the 1868 general...
, but did not contest the 1945 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
. She bore him one child, and had two children by her previous marriage, including Tim
Tim Rathbone
John Rankin "Tim" Rathbone was the Conservative Member of Parliament for the seat of Lewes between 1974 and 1997....
, who later become a Conservative MP.
However, Wright did contest the 1945 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
as Liberal candidate for Bethnal Green North East
Bethnal Green North East (UK Parliament constituency)
Bethnal Green North East was a parliamentary constituency in London, which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
finishing second.
After retiring from the diplomatic service in 1975, Wright was appointed as honorary secretary general of the celebration committee for the Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
’s Silver Jubilee
Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II
The Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II marked the 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other Commonwealth realms...
in 1977, and arranged the music for the occasion. He was a governor of Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
and Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral in London is the mother church of the Catholic community in England and Wales and the Metropolitan Church and Cathedral of the Archbishop of Westminster...
Choir School, and chairman of the Anglo-Lebanese Society.
His wife Beatrice died in 2003, two years before him. They had both converted to Roman Catholicism.
External links
- Obituary, Sir Paul Wright, Daily Telegraph 2005-06-13
- Obituary, Sir Paul Wright, The Times 2005-06-30