| Honorific suffix | DBE CMG |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Veronica Evelyn Beckett |
| Birth date | 25 April 1939 (age 87) |
| Office | President of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge |
| Term start | 2001 |
| Term end | 2008 |
| Successor | Janet Todd OBE |
| Predecessor | Pauline Perry, Baroness Perry of Southwark |
Dame Veronica Evelyn Sutherland, DBE, CMG (née Beckett; born 25 April 1939) is a former British career diplomat who served in the Diplomatic Service of the United Kingdom from 1965 until 1999, including a stint as Ambassador to Ireland. After retirement, she was appointed President of the Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge from 2001 until 2008.[1]
Background
Born to Lt Col Maurice Beckett and Constance Cavenagh-Mainwaring, Sutherland spent more than thirty years in the Diplomatic Service in mainland Europe, Africa and Asia, serving as Ambassador in three countries in francophone West Africa as well as British delegate to UNESCO.[2]
After Sutherland's service in Ireland, she was appointed Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General with responsibility for economic and social affairs. She was the first woman to hold such a high ranking Commonwealth post. She took up her Commonwealth post in February 1999, succeeding Sir Humphrey Maud, KCMG, who was retiring.[3]
She was appointed CMG in the 1988 Birthday Honours[4] and DBE in the 1998 Birthday Honours.[5]
References
- ^ "Cambridge University Reporter". University of Cambridge. 2 October 2009. Archived 20 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ "Dame Veronica Sutherland former British Ambassador and current Principal of Lucy Cavendish College Cambridge - REFLECTIONS ON THE PEACE PROCESS AND ITS PARTICIPANTS". The Irish Association. Archived from the original on 8 July 2007.
- ^ "First woman Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Appointed". Commonwealth Secretariat. 8 October 1998. Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ No. 51365. 10 June 1988. p. 4.
- ^ No. 55155. 15 June 1998. p. 24.