Patrick Reilly
Encyclopedia
Sir Patrick Reilly, GCMG
(17 March 1909 - 6 October 1999) was a British
diplomat who served as ambassador to the USSR and France.
D'Arcy Patrick Reilly was at Ootacamund
, India
, the only son of Sir D'Arcy Reilly, Chief Justice of Mysore. He was educated at Winchester College
and New College, Oxford
, where he was awarded BA in 1932. He won a Laming Travelling Fellowship at the Queen's College and was a Fellow of All Souls from 1932 to 1939. He joined the Diplomatic Service in 1933.
Reilly was 3rd Secretary in Teheran from 1935 to 1938 and then had a brief period in the UK Delegation to the League of Nations
Assembly. From 1939 to 1942, he worked at the Ministry of Economic Warfare and was awarded the OBE
in 1942. In 1942 he was seconded to take up the post of Private Secretary to 'C', Major-General Sir Stewart Menzies, the Chief of the Secret Service. He became First Secretary under Harold Macmillan
at Algiers
in 1943, and under Duff Cooper
at Paris in 1944. He became FIrst Secretary at Athens in 1945 and then Councellor of Athens from 1947 to 1948 during the height of the Greek Civil War. In 1949 he was at the Imperial Defence College, and was awarded the CMG
.
In 1950 he became Assistant Secretary at the Foreign Office. After serving as Minister in Paris from 1953, he returned to the Foreign Office as Deputy Secretary in 1956. In 1957 he was awarded KCMG and became British Ambassador to Russia playing a central role in the Summit meeting of 1959 alongside Macmillan and Selwyn-Lloyd. In 1960 he returned to the Foreign Office as Deputy Secretary. He led the UK Delegation to the Icelandic Fisheries Negotiations in 1960 and in 1964 headed the British party at the UN Conference on Trade and Development. Much of his time however was spent on British membership of the EEC and Franco-British relations. In 1965 he became British Ambassador to France until 1968 when George Brown
effectively terminated Reilly's career abruptly and with scant courtesy, having concluded that he was the wrong man in Paris. Not everybody shared Brown's view.
Reilly was awarded the GCMG
in 1968. After retiring, D’Arcy became Chairman of the Banque National de Paris Ltd (formerly British and French Bank) until 1980. He was Chairman of the London Chamber of Commerce Standing Committee for Common Market Countries from 1970 to 1972. He also became a member of the Council of Bedford College London University in 1970 and was on the London University Management Committee of the British Institute in Paris from 1970 to 1979. He was President of the London Chamber of Commerce between 1972 and 1975, and was Vice President thereafter. He was a member of the Legion d’Honeur in 1979 and was awarded Honorary D.Litt at Bath University in 1981. He died in 1999, aged 90.
. After her death in 1984, Reilly married again in 1987 to Ruth Norrington, widow of Sir Arthur Norrington.
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....
(17 March 1909 - 6 October 1999) 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 who served as ambassador to the USSR and France.
D'Arcy Patrick Reilly was at Ootacamund
Ootacamund
Ootacamund , is a town, a municipality and the district capital of the Nilgiris district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Ootacamund is a popular hill station located in the Nilgiri Hills...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, the only son of Sir D'Arcy Reilly, Chief Justice of Mysore. He was educated at Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
and New College, Oxford
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
, where he was awarded BA in 1932. He won a Laming Travelling Fellowship at the Queen's College and was a Fellow of All Souls from 1932 to 1939. He joined the Diplomatic Service in 1933.
Reilly was 3rd Secretary in Teheran from 1935 to 1938 and then had a brief period in the UK Delegation 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...
Assembly. From 1939 to 1942, he worked at the Ministry of Economic Warfare and was awarded the OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1942. In 1942 he was seconded to take up the post of Private Secretary to 'C', Major-General Sir Stewart Menzies, the Chief of the Secret Service. He became First Secretary under 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....
at Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
in 1943, and under Duff Cooper
Duff Cooper
Alfred Duff Cooper, 1st Viscount Norwich GCMG, DSO, PC , known as Duff Cooper, was a British Conservative Party politician, diplomat and author. He wrote six books, including an autobiography, Old Men Forget, and a biography of Talleyrand...
at Paris in 1944. He became FIrst Secretary at Athens in 1945 and then Councellor of Athens from 1947 to 1948 during the height of the Greek Civil War. In 1949 he was at the Imperial Defence College, and was awarded the CMG
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....
.
In 1950 he became Assistant Secretary at the Foreign Office. After serving as Minister in Paris from 1953, he returned to the Foreign Office as Deputy Secretary in 1956. In 1957 he was awarded KCMG and became British Ambassador to Russia playing a central role in the Summit meeting of 1959 alongside Macmillan and Selwyn-Lloyd. In 1960 he returned to the Foreign Office as Deputy Secretary. He led the UK Delegation to the Icelandic Fisheries Negotiations in 1960 and in 1964 headed the British party at the UN Conference on Trade and Development. Much of his time however was spent on British membership of the EEC and Franco-British relations. In 1965 he became British Ambassador to France until 1968 when George Brown
George Brown, Baron George-Brown
George Alfred Brown, Baron George-Brown, PC was a British Labour politician, who served as the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1960 to 1970, and served in a number of positions in the Cabinet, most notably as Foreign Secretary, in the Labour Government of the 1960s...
effectively terminated Reilly's career abruptly and with scant courtesy, having concluded that he was the wrong man in Paris. Not everybody shared Brown's view.
Reilly was awarded the 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....
in 1968. After retiring, D’Arcy became Chairman of the Banque National de Paris Ltd (formerly British and French Bank) until 1980. He was Chairman of the London Chamber of Commerce Standing Committee for Common Market Countries from 1970 to 1972. He also became a member of the Council of Bedford College London University in 1970 and was on the London University Management Committee of the British Institute in Paris from 1970 to 1979. He was President of the London Chamber of Commerce between 1972 and 1975, and was Vice President thereafter. He was a member of the Legion d’Honeur in 1979 and was awarded Honorary D.Litt at Bath University in 1981. He died in 1999, aged 90.
Personal life
Reilly married Rachel Mary Sykes, daughter of Sir Percy SykesPercy Sykes
Brigadier-General Sir Percy Molesworth Sykes KCIE, CB, CMG was a soldier, diplomat and scholar, with a considerable literary output. He wrote historical, geographical, and biographical works, as well as describing his travels in Persia. Sykes was born in Brompton, Kent, England the only son of Rev...
. After her death in 1984, Reilly married again in 1987 to Ruth Norrington, widow of Sir Arthur Norrington.