Christopher Ewart-Biggs
Christopher Ewart-Biggs CMG, OBE | |
|---|---|
| British Ambassador to Ireland | |
| In office 9 July 1976 – 21 July 1976 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Prime Minister | James Callaghan |
| Preceded by | Sir Arthur Galsworthy |
| Succeeded by | Robin Haydon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Christopher Thomas Ewart Ewart-Biggs August 5, 1921 Thanet, Kent, England |
| Died | July 21, 1976 (aged 54) Sandyford, Dublin, Ireland |
| Cause of death | Assassination |
| Spouse(s) |
|
| Children | 3, including Kate Ewart-Biggs |
| Alma mater | University College, Oxford |
| Profession | Diplomat |
| Awards | |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch/service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1939–1947 |
| Unit | Royal West Kent Regiment |
| Battles/wars | Second World War |
Christopher Thomas Ewart Ewart-Biggs, CMG, OBE (5 August 1921 – 21 July 1976) was a British diplomat and senior Foreign Office liaison officer with MI6, who served as the British Ambassador to Ireland. He was assassinated by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) in Dublin in 1976.[1][2]
Early life and education
[change | change source]Christopher Ewart-Biggs was born on 5 August 1921 in Thanet, Kent, England, to Captain Henry Ewart-Biggs of the Royal Engineers and his wife, Mollie Brice. He was educated at Wellington College and later attended University College, Oxford. During the Second World War, Ewart-Biggs served in the Royal West Kent Regiment and participated in the Second Battle of El Alamein, where he lost his right eye, leading him to wear a smoked-glass monocle.[3][4]
Career
[change | change source]Ewart-Biggs joined the British Foreign Service in 1949 and held various diplomatic posts, including assignments in Lebanon, Qatar, and Algiers. He also served in Brussels, Manila, and Paris, gaining recognition for his fluency in multiple languages and diplomatic skills.
In 1976, he was appointed as the British Ambassador to Ireland. His tenure was tragically cut short after only two weeks, when he was assassinated by the IRA while traveling to the British Embassy in Dublin.
Assassination
[change | change source]On 21 July 1976, Ewart-Biggs was traveling in a convoy when a remote-controlled landmine planted by the IRA exploded near his car in Sandyford, Dublin. He and his colleague, civil servant Judith Cooke, were killed in the attack. The IRA later claimed responsibility for the assassination, alleging that Ewart-Biggs was targeted due to his involvement with British intelligence. His death had a significant impact on Anglo-Irish relations.
Personal life
[change | change source]Ewart-Biggs was married twice. His first wife, Mary Raines Gavrelle Thomas, passed away in 1959. In 1960, he married Felicity Jane Randall, with whom he had three children, including Kate Ewart-Biggs, who has continued his legacy in public service.[5]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ "UK diplomat's murder on lonely Dublin road triggered State crisis". Irish Independent. 2016-07-21. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
- ↑ www.wired-gov.net https://www.wired-gov.net/wg/wg-news-1.nsf/54e6de9e0c383719802572b9005141ed/6b5fc952088d3044802572ab004b4468?OpenDocument. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "Tragic irony of brutal murder". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. 2001-07-21. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
- ↑ "Prime suspect denies ambassador's murder". The Telegraph. 2006-12-30. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
- ↑ "Kate Ewart-Biggs: 'We were greeted by a line of staff crying... I knew in that moment my father had died'". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. 2020-02-08. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2024-10-03.