Edward Llewellyn, Baron Llewellyn of Steep

His Excellency the Right Honourable
The Lord Llewellyn of Steep
OBE PC
Official portrait, 2017
British Ambassador to Italy
Incumbent
Assumed office
7 April 2022
MonarchsElizabeth II
Charles III
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Liz Truss
Rishi Sunak
Keir Starmer
Preceded byJill Morris
British Ambassador to France
In office
9 November 2016 – 8 August 2021
MonarchElizabeth II
Prime MinisterTheresa May
Boris Johnson
Preceded byJulian King
Succeeded byMenna Rawlings
Downing Street Chief of Staff
In office
11 May 2010 – 13 July 2016
Prime MinisterDavid Cameron
DeputyCatherine Fall
Preceded byJeremy Heywood
Succeeded byFiona Hill
Nick Timothy
Chief of Staff
to the Leader of HM Opposition
In office
6 December 2005 – 11 May 2010
LeaderDavid Cameron
Preceded byStephen Sherbourne
Succeeded byAnna Healy
Members of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Incumbent
Assumed office
31 October 2016
Life Peer
Personal details
Born
Edward David Gerard Llewellyn

(1965-09-23) 23 September 1965 (age 59)
NationalityBritish
Political partyConservative
SpouseDr Anne Charbord (m. 2010)
Children3
EducationEton College
Alma materNew College, Oxford

Edward David Gerard Llewellyn, Baron Llewellyn of Steep, OBE, PC (born 23 September 1965),[1] is a British diplomat and former political adviser serving as the British Ambassador to Italy since 2022. Previously HM Ambassador to France from 2016 to 2021,[2] he served as Downing Street Chief of Staff under Prime Minister David Cameron from 2010 to 2016.

In February 2022, Lord Llewellyn was appointed HM Ambassador to Italy, presenting his credentials to President Sergio Mattarella on 7 April 2022.

Early life and career

[edit]

Llewellyn was educated at Sunningdale School,[3] then Eton College, where he was a year above David Cameron. Llewellyn left Eton in 1983 and spent a brief amount of time working at Conservative Central Office, before going up to New College, Oxford, where he was Steward (i.e. President) of the College JCR. New College contemporaries include Rageh Omaar, Steve Hilton and Ian Katz.

The UK Government website states that Llewellyn spent four years (from 1988 to 1992) working for the Conservative Research Department, including a year as Private Secretary to Margaret Thatcher.

Political and diplomatic career

[edit]

After Oxford, Llewellyn was engaged as an aide to Governor Chris Patten in Hong Kong from 1992 to 1997, as a member of Patten's 'Cabinet' following Patten's appointment as a European Commissioner from 1999 to 2002, and then as Chief of Staff to former Liberal Democrat Leader Paddy Ashdown in his role as High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2002 to 2005.[4][5][6]

Appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1997,[7] Llewellyn was promoted Officer (OBE) in 2006.[8]

In July 2021, Lord Llewellyn was appointed an Honorary Captain in the Royal Naval Reserve.[9]

Chief of Staff to David Cameron

[edit]

Following David Cameron's victory at the Conservative leadership election in December 2005, Llewellyn was hired to be Cameron's personal chief of staff in his capacity as Leader of HM Opposition, continuing in this role until 2010.

Coalition negotiations

[edit]

He served as part of the Conservative Party's negotiating team, along with George Osborne, William Hague and Oliver Letwin, when negotiating a prospective deal with the Liberal Democrats after the 2010 general election. Their negotiations being successful, the Conservative–LibDem coalition agreement was drawn up leading to the formation of the coalition government in 2010.

Downing Street Chief of Staff

[edit]

Cameron became Prime Minister and appointed Llewellyn to the post of Downing Street Chief of Staff. In July 2011, several newspapers reported that Llewellyn asked Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner John Yates not to speak to Cameron about the News International phone hacking scandal.[10]

On 14 May 2015 following the Conservatives' general election victory, Llewellyn was sworn of the Privy Council.[11]

House of Lords

[edit]

In August 2016, Llewellyn was nominated for elevation as a life peer in David Cameron's Resignation Honours,[12] being created on 20 October 2016 as Baron Llewellyn of Steep, of Steep, in the County of Hampshire.[13] Introduced by Lords Patten and Hague on 31 October, Lord Llewellyn took his seat on the Conservative benches in the House of Lords.[14]

Ambassador to France

[edit]

Appointed British Ambassador to France,[15] on 23 September 2016, Llewellyn took office on 9 November 2016.[16] Lord Llewellyn takes leave of absence from Parliament as is customary while on His Majesty's Diplomatic Service.[17]

Succeeded in Paris by Ambassador Dame Menna Rawlings in summer 2021, it was announced Lord Llewellyn would receive another diplomatic appointment.[18]

Ambassador to Italy

[edit]

Nominated on 18 January 2022 as British Ambassador to Italy and non-resident Ambassador Extraordinary to San Marino in succession to Jill Morris,[19] Llewellyn presented his credentials to President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinal Palace on 7 April 2022.

Lord and Lady Llewellyn reside at the Villa Wolkonsky in Rome.[20]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ LLEWELLYN, Rt Hon. Edward David Gerard, Who's Who 2016, A & C Black, 2016 (online edition, Oxford University Press, 2015)
  2. ^ "Edward Llewellyn OBE, British Ambassador to France". GOV.UK. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  3. ^ "Old Boys". School Notes. Sunningdale School: 7. Summer 2015. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  4. ^ "At-a-glance: Cameron's camp". BBC News. 6 December 2005. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
  5. ^ Beckett, Andy (21 March 2007). "The Cameroons". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
  6. ^ "David Cameron's band of Etonian brothers". The Independent. 20 May 2007. Archived from the original on 3 June 2008. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
  7. ^ "No. 54794". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 June 1997. p. 26.
  8. ^ "No. 57855". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2005. p. 24.
  9. ^ "No. 63542". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 November 2021. p. 21618.
  10. ^ Shipman, Tim (19 July 2011). "News of the World phone hacking scandal: July 19 morning as it happened". The Telegraph. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  11. ^ "Business Transacted and Order Approved at the Privy Council held by the Queen at Buckingham Palace on 14 May 2015" (PDF). Privycouncil.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  12. ^ "Resignation Honours 2016". Retrieved 4 August 2016.
  13. ^ "No. 61741". The London Gazette. 25 October 2016. p. 22592.
  14. ^ "Introduction: Lord Llewellyn of Steep". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 776. House of Lords. 31 October 2016.
  15. ^ "Change of Her Majesty's Ambassador to France: Edward Llewellyn". GOV.UK (Press release). 23 September 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
  16. ^ "British Embassy Paris". GOV.UK. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  17. ^ www.parliament.uk
  18. ^ "Change of Her Majesty's Ambassador to France: Menna Rawlings". GOV.UK (Press release). 29 April 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  19. ^ "Change of Her Majesty's Ambassador to the Italian Republic: Edward Llewellyn". GOV.UK (Press release). 18 January 2022. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  20. ^ www.burkespeerage.com
Government offices
Preceded by Downing Street Chief of Staff
2010–2016 		Succeeded by
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by British Ambassador to France
2016–2021 		Succeeded by
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom
Preceded by Gentlemen
Baron Llewellyn of Steep 		Followed by
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