Richard Dearlove

For the DJ Richard Dearlove, known as "Diddy", see Diddy (DJ).
Sir Richard Dearlove
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service Secret Intelligence Service (SIS/MI6)
Active 1966–2004
Rank Chief of SIS/MI6
Award(s) KCMG
OBE
Birth name Richard Billing Dearlove
Born (1945-01-23) 23 January 1945
Gorran Haven, Cornwall
Nationality British
Occupation Intelligence officer
Alma mater Queens' College, Cambridge

Sir Richard Billing Dearlove, KCMG OBE (born 23 January 1945) was head of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), a role fictionally known as "M" and actually, though informally, as "C",[1] from 1999 until 6 May 2004. Sir Richard was Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge, from 2004 to 2015.

Early life and education

Dearlove was born at Gorran Haven in Cornwall,[2] son of Jack Dearlove, 1948 Olympic silver medallist,[3] and attended Monkton Combe School near Bath, the Kent School in Kent, Connecticut, and Queens' College, Cambridge.[4]

Career

He joined MI6 in 1966 and was posted to Nairobi in 1968.[5] In 1984, he was appointed an OBE. After being posted to Prague, Paris and Geneva, he became head of Washington station in 1991,[5] director of personnel and administration in 1993 and director of operations in 1994.[5] Dearlove became Chief in 1999.[5] In 2001, he was appointed a KCMG.

Sir Richard's tenure as the head of MI6 saw many events for the Service:

KCMG Badge and Breast Star

Dearlove was elected Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge, on 1 August 2004.[5] He accepted an invitation to become the Chairman of Trustees of the Cambridge Union Society in 2006.[2] As Master of Pembroke, Dearlove was ex officio chairman of the board of Trustees of Pembroke House, a community centre in Walworth, London, via the college's patronage of the advowson of St Christopher's, Walworth (CofE).[7][8]

In February 2008 Dearlove gave evidence at the inquest of Princess Diana's death, responding to Harrods owner Mohamed al-Fayed who claimed that MI6 had murdered Diana.[5]

Sir Richard is a signatory of the Henry Jackson Society principles.[9] He is also a "senior advisor" to the Monitor Group – a consultancy and private equity firm which has been implicated in undertaking PR work for Libya and Muammar Gaddafi. In April 2013, it was announced that Dearlove joined the advisory board of Ergo, an intelligence and advisory firm.[10]

On 15 February 2011 Dearlove gave a talk at the Cambridge Union Society, taking as his theme the question of how much secrecy the UK needs: "The short answer to that question is that it needs some but actually not as much as you think."[11](2:48) He said he "would definitely draw a parallel at the moment between the wave of political unrest which is sweeping through the Middle East, in a very excited and rather extraordinary fashion, and also the Wikileaks phenomenon",[11](3:25) but added later, in connection with the way technological advances was altering the norms of civic and private life, commenting on WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, that " ... the Assange story, as such, is ultimately a distraction. He's a very undignified flag-carrier, in my opinion, for a very important issue."[11](11:50)

In 2012 Dearlove took a sabbatical from Cambridge University to write an account of events leading up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq from his perspective at MI6, including coverage of the production of the so-called "dodgy dossier". Publishing such an account would be unprecedented for a former Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service. He may release this now that the Chilcot Inquiry findings have been published.[12]

On 7 July 2014, in a lecture at the Royal United Services Institute, Dearlove argued that the government and media had exaggerated the Islamist terrorism threat to the UK, giving extremists publicity counter-productive to UK interests.[13][14]

In 2015 Dearlove retired as Master of Pembroke College.[15]

Styles of address

References

  1. ↑ correspondent, Gordon Corera Security; News, B. B. C. "Plaque unveiled for first MI6 chief Mansfield Cumming". BBC News. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  2. 1 2 Exeter University: Honorary Graduates
  3. ↑ "The Olympic hero they kept in hiding". Daily Telegraph. 4 July 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  4. ↑ New MI6 spymaster named, BBC News, 25 February 1999. Accessed 13 February 2008.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Profile: Sir Richard Dearlove BBC News, 20 February 2008
  6. ↑ Norton-Taylor, Richard (23 November 2009). "Five key questions to be answered" – via The Guardian.
  7. ↑ www.southwark.anglican.org
  8. ↑ Pembroke College Mission
  9. ↑ Signatories to the Statement of Principles, Henry Jackson Society
  10. ↑ Sir Richard Dearlove Joins Ergo's Advisory Board, PR Newswire, 23 April 2013, Retrieved 12 June 2013
  11. 1 2 3 "Sir Richard Dearlove". Cambridge Union Society. 7 July 2011. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
  12. ↑ Melanie Hall (21 July 2013). "Former head of MI6 threatens to expose secrets of Iraq 'dodgy dossier'". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  13. ↑ Richard Norton-Taylor (7 July 2014). "Islamist terror threat to west blown out of proportion - former MI6 chief". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  14. ↑ "'Pathetic' Britons in Syria and Iraq do not pose threat, says former MI6 chief". Daily Telegraph. 7 July 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  15. ↑ Michael White (17 May 2016). "Is Sir Richard Dearlove seeking refuge from Chilcot?". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 May 2016.

External links


Government offices
Preceded by
Sir David Spedding		 Chief of the SIS
1999–2004 		Succeeded by
Sir John Scarlett
Academic offices
Preceded by
Sir Roger Tomkys		 Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge
2004–2015 		Succeeded by
Baron Smith of Finsbury
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