Harold Caccia, Baron Caccia
Encyclopedia
Harold Anthony Caccia, Baron Caccia, GCMG
, GCVO
, GCStJ
(21 December 1905 Pachmarhi, India; 31 October 1990 Builth Wells, Wales) was a British
diplomat.
He was educated at Eton College
and Trinity College, Oxford
. He played cricket
for Oxfordshire
in the Minor Counties Championship between 1928 and 1938. He married Anne Catherine Barstow, daughter of George Lewis Barstow
and Enid Lillian Lawrence, in 1932. He entered the diplomatic service in 1929 and was posted to Peking (Beijing) and then to Athens and London where, in 1936, he became assistant private secretary to Anthony Eden
.
He was back in Athens early in World War II, but was then attached to the staff of Harold Macmillan
, Britain's representative at Allied headquarters in North Africa. The Greek civil war once again saw him in that country, and by 1945 his services earned him recognition on the Birthday Honours List. He was knighted in 1950.
He was created a life peer
with the title Baron Caccia, of Abernant in the County of Breconshire, on 11 May 1965. Caccia was appointed a Bailiff
Grand Cross of the Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem
, a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
and a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George
.
Caccia was Ambassador to Austria from 1951 to 1954, and from 1956 to 1961 Ambassador to the USA. He was sent to Washington to repair relations badly damaged by the Suez crisis
of 1956. The breakdown in mutual confidence arose when Britain and France joined an Israeli invasion of Egypt and sent military forces to capture the Suez Canal, which had been nationalized by President Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt. In the years that followed, he was instrumental in restoring and nurturing the "special relationship" between London and Washington.
In 1961, he became Permanent Under-Secretary of State, an office he held until 1965. He was Provost of Eton 1965-78.
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...
, GCStJ
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...
(21 December 1905 Pachmarhi, India; 31 October 1990 Builth Wells, Wales) 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.
He was educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Trinity College, Oxford
Trinity College, Oxford
The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope , or Trinity College for short, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It stands on Broad Street, next door to Balliol College and Blackwells bookshop,...
. He played cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
for Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire County Cricket Club
Oxfordshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Oxfordshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
in the Minor Counties Championship between 1928 and 1938. He married Anne Catherine Barstow, daughter of George Lewis Barstow
George Barstow
Sir George Lewis Barstow KCB was a British civil servant and businessman.Barstow was born in York and was educated at Clifton College and Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He then entered the Civil Service. In 1909 he was appointed a principal clerk in HM Treasury and shortly afterwards became an...
and Enid Lillian Lawrence, in 1932. He entered the diplomatic service in 1929 and was posted to Peking (Beijing) and then to Athens and London where, in 1936, he became assistant private secretary to Anthony Eden
Anthony Eden
Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon, KG, MC, PC was a British Conservative politician, who was Prime Minister from 1955 to 1957...
.
He was back in Athens early in World War II, but was then attached to the staff of Harold Macmillan
Harold Macmillan
Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC was Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 January 1957 to 18 October 1963....
, Britain's representative at Allied headquarters in North Africa. The Greek civil war once again saw him in that country, and by 1945 his services earned him recognition on the Birthday Honours List. He was knighted in 1950.
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 Caccia, of Abernant in the County of Breconshire, on 11 May 1965. Caccia was appointed a Bailiff
Bailiff
A bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
Grand Cross of the Order of the Hospital 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...
, a 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...
and a Knight Grand Cross 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....
.
Caccia was Ambassador to Austria from 1951 to 1954, and from 1956 to 1961 Ambassador to the USA. He was sent to Washington to repair relations badly damaged by the Suez crisis
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
of 1956. The breakdown in mutual confidence arose when Britain and France joined an Israeli invasion of Egypt and sent military forces to capture the Suez Canal, which had been nationalized by President Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt. In the years that followed, he was instrumental in restoring and nurturing the "special relationship" between London and Washington.
In 1961, he became Permanent Under-Secretary of State, an office he held until 1965. He was Provost of Eton 1965-78.