Michael Anthony Arthur

Sir Michael Anthony Arthur KCMG (born 28 August 1950) is a former senior British diplomat, who was Her Majesty's British Ambassador to Germany, 2007-10.[1] Previously, he was the UK's High Commissioner in New Delhi. Arthur was succeeded as British Ambassador to Germany by Simon McDonald.

Sir Michael Arthur KCMG
Sir Michael Arthur at The Doon School, India, with wife Plaxy Gillian Beatrice, dressed in shalwar kameez.
British Ambassador to Germany
In office 2007–2010
Monarch	Elizabeth II
President	Horst Köhler
Prime Minister	Gordon Brown
Chancellor	Angela Merkel
Preceded by	Sir Peter Torry
Succeeded by	Sir Simon McDonald
British High Commissioner to India
In office 2003–2007
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Preceded by	Sir Rob Young
Succeeded by	Sir Richard Stagg
Personal details
Born	Michael Anthony Arthur (1950-08-28) 28 August 1950
Nationality	British
Spouse(s)	Plaxy Gillian Beatrice
Children	4
Education	Rugby School
Alma mater	Balliol College, Oxford

Career

Arthur had previously worked in a number of positions within the Diplomatic Service, starting out in 1972 in the UK Mission to the United Nations, and moving in 1973 to the UK's Mission in Geneva working on the additional protocols to the Geneva Convention. Between 1981 and 1984, he was Private Secretary to the Lord Privy Seal and Minister of State in the Foreign Office, and in 1984 became First Secretary Political at the British Embassy in Bonn (then the administrative capital of West Germany). He was a Political Counselor at the Embassy in Paris from 1993 to 1997 and Deputy Head of Mission in Washington from 1999 to 2001.[1]

In 2001, Arthur was appointed Director General Europe and Economic at the Foreign Office and in 2003 succeeded Sir Rob Young as High Commissioner in New Delhi. He became Ambassador to Germany in 2007, succeeding Sir Peter Torry.[1]

Arthur retired from HM Diplomatic Service in October 2010, and was succeeded in Berlin by Simon McDonald, a former British Ambassador to Israel and Head of Foreign and Defence Policy, Cabinet Office.[2]

In 2013 Arthur joined Boeing UK and Ireland as a managing director.[3]

Personal life

Arthur attended Rugby School and Balliol College, Oxford and is a fluent French and German speaker[4]. He is married to Plaxy Gillian Beatrice, and has four children.[1]

See also

• British Embassy, Berlin

References

1. "Our Ambassador". British Embassy, Berlin. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
2. "Appointment of Ambassador to Germany". The Times. 12 December 2009. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
3. "From diplomat to president". The Telegraph. 2017-12-12. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2019-08-30.
4. "From diplomat to president". The Telegraph. 2017-12-12. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2019-08-30.

External links

• Website of the British Embassy in Berlin

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Sir Rob Young	British High Commissioner to India 2003–2007	Succeeded by Sir Richard Stagg
Preceded by Sir Peter Torry	British Ambassador to Germany 2007–2010	Succeeded by Sir Simon McDonald