Julian King (diplomat)

Sir Julian Beresford King KCVO CMG (born 22 August 1964) is a British diplomat and civil servant who served as Ambassador to Ireland and France and Director General of the Northern Ireland Office. On 8 July 2016, he was nominated by David Cameron to succeed Jonathan Hill as the British European Commissioner. On 2 August 2016, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker announced his intention to allocate King the Security Union portfolio.[1][2] After the approval of his nomination by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, he took office on 19 September 2016. With the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union on 31 January 2020, he was the last British official to hold a position and portfolio within the European Commission.

Sir Julian King

KCVO CMG
European Commissioner for the Security Union
In office
19 September 2016 – 30 November 2019
Nominated byDavid Cameron
PresidentJean-Claude Juncker
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byMargaritis Schinas (Promoting the European Way of Life)
British Ambassador to France
In office
January 2016 – 19 September 2016
Preceded byPeter Ricketts
Succeeded byThe Lord Llewellyn of Steep
British Ambassador to Ireland
In office
2009–2012
Preceded byDavid Reddaway
Succeeded byDominick Chilcott
Personal details
Born (1964-08-22) 22 August 1964
Political partyIndependent
Alma materSt Peter's College, Oxford
École nationale d'administration

Biography

King attended Bishop Vesey's Grammar School, one of the oldest schools in Britain.[3] He gained a BA in Philosophy and Theology from St Peter's College, Oxford.[4] He also studied at the École nationale d'administration in Paris where he met his future wife. He joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1985.

After the resignation of Jonathan Hill as the British European Commissioner and European Commissioner for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union in the aftermath of the Brexit referendum, Prime Minister David Cameron nominated King to replace him. On 2 August 2016, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker announced his intention to allocate the new portfolio of Security Union to King. King would work under the supervision of First Vice-President Frans Timmermans.[5][6] The European Parliament confirmed his appointment on 15 September 2016,[7] and the Council of the European Union did so on 19 September 2016.[8][9]

Diplomatic career
King during the MSC 2017
  • 1985–1987 Foreign office in London
  • 1987–1988 École nationale d'administration
  • 1989–1990 Private Secretary to the British Ambassador (Sir Ewen Fergusson) in Paris
  • 1991–1992 worked on European common foreign and security policy (CFSP) in Luxembourg, the Hague, Lisbon then London
  • 1993–1995 London, working on European defence and NATO issues
  • 1998–2002 Brussels, working on relations with Turkey, European defence, CFSP and EU enlargement
  • 2003–2004 Counsellor and Head of Chancery at UK mission to the United Nations in New York City (covering UN Security Council business in the period after the Iraq War)
  • 2004–2007 UK Permanent Representative to the EU Political and Security Committee in Brussels, covering common foreign and security policy (CFSP).
  • 2005 Chaired the EU Political and Security Committee during the UK presidency
  • 2008–2009 Head of the office of the British Commissioner in Brussels (Peter Mandelson then Baroness Ashton). Represented the EU27 on international trade matters, including negotiations on the WTO Doha Round.
  • 2009–2011 British Ambassador to Ireland. Organised the State Visit to Ireland by Queen Elizabeth in May 2011.
  • 2011–2014 Director-General of the Northern Ireland Office
  • 2014–2015 Director-General Economic & Consular Affairs, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
  • 2016-2016 British Ambassador to France
  • 2016–2019 European Commissioner for the Security Union

Honours

King was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 2006. He was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) by Queen Elizabeth during a visit to Belfast on 24 June 2014, when he relinquished his appointment as Director-General of the Northern Ireland Office.[10]

Personal life

He married a Danish colleague, Lotte Knudsen in 1992 near Gers in south-west France.[11] They had met as students in Paris and still have a house near where they married. Lotte Knudsen is currently Managing Director, Human Rights, Global & Multilateral Issues in the European External Action Service (EEAS) and previously held senior posts in the European Commission, including as Director for Justice Matters in the Directorate-General for Justice, Freedom and Security https://www.coleurope.eu/whoswho/person/lotte.knudsen

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References
  1. "President Juncker consults the European Parliament on Sir Julian King as Commissioner for the Security Union". europa.eu. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  2. Adam Lusher. "Why is the EU appointing a British security chief after Brexit?". Independent.co.uk. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  3. https://alumni.bvgs.co.uk/news/club-news/102/102-THE-FRENCH-AMBASSADOR-the-unique-succession
  4. "Sir Julian King nominated as EU Commissioner". St Peter's College. 12 July 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  5. "European Commission - PRESS RELEASES - Press release - President Juncker consults the European Parliament on Sir Julian King as Commissioner for the Security Union". europa.eu. 2 August 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  6. "Julian King : Commissioner for the Security Union" (PDF). ec.europa.eu. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 August 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  7. Parliament endorses Sir Julian King as Commissioner for Security Union. European Parliament press release, 15 September 2016. Accessed 18 September 2016.
  8. "Julian King appointed new commissioner for security union" (PDF). consilium.europa.eu. 19 September 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  9. "EU appoints Briton Julian King as commissioner for security". uk.reuters.com. 19 September 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  10. Court Circular, 24 June 2014
  11. Jacques Hubert-Rodier (18 February 2016). "Julian King, ambassadeur de Sa Majesté". Les Échos. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
David Reddaway		 British Ambassador to Ireland
2009–2012		 Succeeded by
Dominick Chilcott
Preceded by
Peter Ricketts		 British Ambassador to France
2016		 Succeeded by
The Lord Llewellyn of Steep
Political offices
Preceded by
The Lord Hill of Oareford		 British European Commissioner
2016–2019		 Last
New office European Commissioner for the Security Union
2016–2019		 Succeeded by
Margaritis Schinas
as European Commissioner for Promoting the European Way of Life
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