Antony Duff

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The Right Honourable Sir
Antony Duff
GCMG CVO DSO DSC
Born
Arthur Antony Duff

(1920-02-25)25 February 1920
Died13 August 2000(2000-08-13) (aged 80)
NationalityBritish
EducationBritannia Royal Naval College
Occupations
SpousePauline Sword
Awards
Espionage activity
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service branchMI5
Service years1985–1988
RankDirector General of MI5
Military career
Service/branch Royal Navy
Commands held

Sir Arthur Antony Duff GCMG CVO DSO DSC PC (25 February 1920 – 13 August 2000) was a senior British diplomat and Director General of MI5.

Early life and naval service[edit]

Born in 1920 to Admiral Sir Arthur Allen Morison Duff KCB and Margaret Grace Dawson at Var Trees House, Moreton.[1] Educated at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, Duff started his career in the Royal Navy where he was a submarine commander during the Second World War; he briefly commanded HMS Otway and HMS L23 in 1942 before commanding HMS Stubborn from December 1942 to July 1944.[2]

Diplomatic career[edit]

After the war Duff joined the Diplomatic Service in January 1946.[1] He was Counsellor and Head of the Chancery of the United Kingdom Embassy in West Germany from 1962 to 1964, the British Ambassador to Nepal from 1964 to 1965; the Head of the South Asia Department of the Foreign Office from 1965 to 1969; the Deputy High Commissioner to Malaysia from 1969 to 1972; and the British High Commissioner to Kenya from 1972 to 1975.[3][4]

Duff was the Deputy Under Secretary for Middle East and Africa from 1975 to 1977; and the Deputy Under Secretary for Defence and Intelligence from 1977 to 1990, including serving concurrently as the Senior Deputy Under Secretary from 1976 to 1979.[1] Having led the British official delegation to the Lancaster House talks, he became Deputy Governor of Southern Rhodesia under Lord Soames from 1979 to 1980.[5]

Cabinet Office and MI5[edit]

Duff was sworn of the Privy Council in 1980, the first diplomat to be so honoured since Sir Alexander Cadogan in 1940. Duff was Deputy Secretary (Intelligence and Security Co-ordinator) at the Cabinet Office with responsibility for security matters from 1980 to 1984. He was then Director General of the Security Service (MI5) from 1985 to 1988.[6][7]

Later life[edit]

After his retirement in January 1988, Duff worked as a volunteer in a centre for the homeless and was a board member of Homeless Network in London.[8]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Duff, Sir (Arthur) Antony (1920–2000), diplomatist and intelligence officer". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/74488. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. Retrieved 15 April 2021. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ^ Lt. Arthur Anthony Duff DSO, DSC, uboat.net
  3. ^ "Duff, Rt Hon. Sir (Arthur) Antony, (25 Feb. 1920–13 Aug. 2000), PC 1980; Deputy Secretary, Cabinet Office, 1980–84; Director General, Security Service, 1985–87, retired". WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. 2007. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u178117. ISBN 978-0-19-954089-1. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  4. ^ "British Diplomats Directory: Part 1 of 4". 18 March 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  5. ^ Southern Rhodesia Constitution (Interim Provisions) Order 1979, Hansard, 14 December 1979
  6. ^ Sir Antony Duff, The Daily Telegraph, 21 August 2000
  7. ^ "Sir Antony Duff | MI5 - The Security Service". mi5.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  8. ^ Obituary: Sir Antony Duff, The Guardian, 18 August 2000

Further reading[edit]

  • Andrew, Christopher (2010). Defence of the Realm: The Authorized History of MI5. London: Penguin. ISBN 978-0-14-102330-4.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Ambassador to Nepal
1964–1965 		Succeeded by
Preceded by High Commissioner to Kenya
1972–1975 		Succeeded by
Government offices
Preceded by Director General of MI5
1985–1988 		Succeeded by
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