Rennell Rodd, 1st Baron Rennell
Encyclopedia
James Rennell Rodd, 1st Baron Rennell, GCB
, GCMG
, GCVO
, PC
(9 November 1858–26 July 1941), known as Sir Rennell Rodd before 1933, was a British
diplomat, poet and politician. He served as British Ambassador
to Italy
during the First World War.
. On his father's side he descended from the geographer James Rennell
. Rodd was educated at Haileybury
and Balliol College, Oxford
, where he was associated with the circle of Oscar Wilde
. Wilde later assisted Rodd in securing publication for his first book of verse, Rose Leaf and Apple Leaf, for which Wilde provided an introduction. As Wilde began to court scandal in his public career, their friendship subsequently cooled.
, Rome
, Athens
and Paris
. From 1894 to 1902 Rodd worked under the Consul-General of Egypt Lord Cromer
. He played an important part in negotiating the Anglo-Ethiopian Treaty of 1897
with Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia. In 1902 he returned to the embassy in Rome, where he remained for the next two years. In 1904 Rodd was made Minister plenipotentiary to Sweden
(and until November 1905, Norway
), but did not arrive until 17 January 1905. He played an active and neutral part in the dissolution of the Union between Sweden and Norway, for which he was rewarded the Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star by King Oscar II. After the secession he continued as a Minister in Sweden until 1908.
The latter year he was appointed Ambassador to Italy
. He was to remain in this post until 1919, and played a key role in securing Italy's adhesion to the Entente
cause. Rodd left the Diplomatic Service in 1919 but nonetheless served on the mission to Egypt
in 1920 with Lord Milner
and was British delegate to the League of Nations
from 1921 to 1923. He also sat as Unionist
Member of Parliament
for St Marylebone
between 1928 and 1932.
and Rome
. He published his memoirs, entitled Social and Diplomatic Memories, in three volumes between 1922 and 1925. His diaries were published in 1981 by Torsten Burgman, and edited by Victor Lal in 2005.
(CB) in 1897, Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
(KCMG) in 1899, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
(GCVO) in 1905, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) in 1915, and Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in the 1920 New Year Honours. He was appointed to the Privy Council
in 1908 and in 1933 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Rennell, of Rodd in the County of Hereford.
, married the author Nancy Mitford
, daughter of David Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale
and one of the famous Mitford sisters. His eldest daughter Evelyn Violet Elizabeth Rodd
was a Conservative
politician and was created a life peer as Baroness Emmet of Amberley in 1965. His second daughter, the Hon. Gloria Rodd, married the painter Simon Elwes
, by whom she had a four sons, including the portrait painter Dominick Elwes. Lord Rennell died in July 1941, aged 82, and was succeeded in the barony by his second but eldest surviving son Francis James Rennell Rodd
, who later served as President of the Royal Geographical Society
.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, GCMG
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....
, GCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, PC
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
(9 November 1858–26 July 1941), known as Sir Rennell Rodd before 1933, was a 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, poet and politician. He served as British 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 Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
during the First World War.
Early life
Rodd was the only son of Major James Rennell Rodd (1812–1892) and his wife Elizabeth Thomson, daughter of Anthony Todd ThomsonAnthony Todd Thomson
Anthony Todd Thomson was a Scottish doctor and pioneer of dermatology.-Life:His father Alexander Thomson was Postmaster-General, a member of the council of the Province of Georgia, and custom-collector for Savannah, Georgia...
. On his father's side he descended from the geographer James Rennell
James Rennell
Major James Rennell, FRS was an English geographer, historian and a pioneer of oceanography.-Early life:Rennell was born near Chudleigh in Devon...
. Rodd was educated at Haileybury
Haileybury and Imperial Service College
Haileybury and Imperial Service College, , is a prestigious British independent school founded in 1862. The school is located at Hertford Heath, near Hertford, from central London, on of parkland occupied until 1858 by the East India College...
and Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
, where he was associated with the circle of Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
. Wilde later assisted Rodd in securing publication for his first book of verse, Rose Leaf and Apple Leaf, for which Wilde provided an introduction. As Wilde began to court scandal in his public career, their friendship subsequently cooled.
Diplomat
He entered the Diplomatic Service in 1883 and served in minor positions at the British embassies in BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. From 1894 to 1902 Rodd worked under the Consul-General of Egypt Lord Cromer
Evelyn Baring, 1st Earl of Cromer
Evelyn Baring, 1st Earl of Cromer, GCB, OM, GCMG, KCSI, CIE, PC, FRS , was a British statesman, diplomat and colonial administrator....
. He played an important part in negotiating the Anglo-Ethiopian Treaty of 1897
Anglo-Ethiopian Treaty of 1897
The Anglo-Ethiopian Treaty of 1897 was an agreement negotiated between diplomat Sir Rennell Rodd of Great Britain and Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia primarily involving border issues between Ethiopia and colonial British Somaliland...
with Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia. In 1902 he returned to the embassy in Rome, where he remained for the next two years. In 1904 Rodd was made Minister plenipotentiary to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
(and until November 1905, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
), but did not arrive until 17 January 1905. He played an active and neutral part in the dissolution of the Union between Sweden and Norway, for which he was rewarded the Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star by King Oscar II. After the secession he continued as a Minister in Sweden until 1908.
The latter year he was appointed Ambassador to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. He was to remain in this post until 1919, and played a key role in securing Italy's adhesion to the Entente
Triple Entente
The Triple Entente was the name given to the alliance among Britain, France and Russia after the signing of the Anglo-Russian Entente in 1907....
cause. Rodd left the Diplomatic Service in 1919 but nonetheless served on the mission to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in 1920 with Lord Milner
Alfred Milner, 1st Viscount Milner
Alfred Milner, 1st Viscount Milner KG, GCB, GCMG, PC was a British statesman and colonial administrator who played an influential leadership role in the formulation of foreign and domestic policy between the mid-1890s and early 1920s...
and was British delegate to the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
from 1921 to 1923. He also sat as Unionist
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
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 St Marylebone
St Marylebone (UK Parliament constituency)
St Marylebone was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Marylebone district of Central London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
between 1928 and 1932.
Writer and scholar
Apart from his diplomatic services Rodd was also a published poet and scholar of ancient GreeceAncient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
and Rome
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
. He published his memoirs, entitled Social and Diplomatic Memories, in three volumes between 1922 and 1925. His diaries were published in 1981 by Torsten Burgman, and edited by Victor Lal in 2005.
Honours
Rodd was appointed Companion of the Order of the BathOrder of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(CB) in 1897, Knight Commander 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....
(KCMG) in 1899, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(GCVO) in 1905, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) in 1915, and Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in the 1920 New Year Honours. He was appointed to the Privy Council
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
in 1908 and in 1933 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Rennell, of Rodd in the County of Hereford.
Family
Lord Rennell of Rodd married Lilias Georgina Guthrie, daughter of James Alexander Guthrie, in 1894. They had four sons and two daughters. His third son, Peter RoddPeter Rodd
Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Murray Rennell Rodd was a younger son of Rennell Rodd, 1st Baron Rennell.He was educated at Wellington College and Balliol College, Oxford. On 4 December 1933 he was married to the Hon. Nancy Mitford, one of the noted Mitford sisters...
, married the author Nancy Mitford
Nancy Mitford
Nancy Freeman-Mitford, CBE , styled The Hon. Nancy Mitford before her marriage and The Hon. Mrs Peter Rodd thereafter, was an English novelist and biographer, one of the Bright Young People on the London social scene in the inter-war years...
, daughter of David Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale
David Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale
David Bertram Ogilvy Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale, , was an English landowner and was the father of the Mitford sisters, in whose various novels and memoirs he is depicted.-Ancestry:...
and one of the famous Mitford sisters. His eldest daughter Evelyn Violet Elizabeth Rodd
Evelyn Emmet, Baroness Emmet of Amberley
Evelyn Violet Elizabeth Emmet, Baroness Emmet of Amberley was a British Conservative Party politician....
was a Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician and was created a life peer as Baroness Emmet of Amberley in 1965. His second daughter, the Hon. Gloria Rodd, married the painter Simon Elwes
Simon Elwes
Lt. Col. Simon Edmund Vincent Paul Elwes, better known as Simon Elwes, RP, RA, KM was a British war artist and society portrait painter whose patrons included kings, queens, statesmen, sportsmen, prominent social figures and many members of Britain's Royal Family...
, by whom she had a four sons, including the portrait painter Dominick Elwes. Lord Rennell died in July 1941, aged 82, and was succeeded in the barony by his second but eldest surviving son Francis James Rennell Rodd
Francis Rodd, 2nd Baron Rennell
Major General Francis James Rennell Rodd, 2nd Baron Rennell KBE CB JP was the second but eldest surviving son of the diplomat James Rennell Rodd, 1st Baron Rennell. During the First World War he served in the artillery and as an intelligence officer in France, Italy North Africa , Palestine and...
, who later served as President of the Royal Geographical Society
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
.