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Ronald William Graham

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The Right Honourable
Sir Ronald William Graham
GCB GCMG GCVO
British Ambassador to Italy
In office
1921–1933
Preceded byGeorge Buchanan
Succeeded bySir Eric Drummond
Personal details
Born(1870-07-24)24 July 1870
London, England
Died26 January 1949(1949-01-26) (aged 78)
London, England
Spouse
Lady Sybil Brodrick
​
​
(m. 1912; died 1934)​
ParentHenry John Lowndes Graham
EducationEton College
OccupationDiplomat

Sir Ronald William Graham, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, PC (24 July 1870 – 26 January 1949) was a British diplomat and the British Ambassador to Italy from 1921 to 1933.[1]

Early life

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Graham was born in London 24 July 1870, the eldest son of Sir Henry John Lowndes Graham by his first wife Lady Edith Elizabeth Gathorne-Hardy (d. 1875), daughter of Lord Cranbrook. He was educated at Eton College.[1]

Diplomatic service

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In 1892 Graham joined the British Diplomatic Service[2] with his first foreign post at Paris.[1] He was promoted to Third Secretary in 1894,[3] In 1904, he was promoted to first secretary[4] and worked at the Eastern Department of the Foreign Office, before moving to Cairo as a Counsellor.[1] He was promoted to Councillor of Embassy in 1907,[5] and to the rank of Minister Plenipotentiary in 1916.[6]

After a period as Minister at the Hague from 1919 (and concurrently accredited to Luxembourg),[7][8] he was sworn into Privy Council in 1921[9] and appointed Ambassador to Italy.[10][1] He was the British representative during the Fascist Revolution of 1922 when Benito Mussolini came to power.[1] Graham retired in November 1933 and became a trustee of the British Museum from 1937.[1]

Personal life

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Grave in Peper Harow, Surrey

Graham married Lady Sybil Brodrick, the daughter of the Earl of Midleton in January 1912. Lady Sybil, who was Maid of honour to Queen Mary from 1911 to 1912, was the sister of George Brodrick, 2nd Earl of Midleton.[11] She was given permission to wear the Grand Cordon of the Order of El Kemal in 1916.[12]

His wife died six months after Graham retired and they had no children.[1] Graham died at his home in London aged 78 in 1949.[1]

Honours

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Graham was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 1910 Birthday Honours.[13] Graham was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in 1915, while serving as an adviser to the Egyptian Ministry of the Interior.[14] He was awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Nile in the same year.[15] He was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) in 1923, on the occasion of the King's visit to Rome,[16] and promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) in the 1926 Birthday Honours.[17]

He was promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in the 1932 Birthday Honours.[18]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Sir Ronald Graham, Ambassador To Italy 1921–1933". Obituaries. The Times. No. 51290. London. 27 January 1949. col. E, p. 7.
  2. ^ "No. 26294". The London Gazette. 3 June 1892. p. 3295.
  3. ^ "No. 26513". The London Gazette. 18 May 1894. p. 2908.
  4. ^ "No. 27691". The London Gazette. 1 July 1904. p. 4179.
  5. ^ "No. 28022". The London Gazette. 17 May 1907. p. 3437.
  6. ^ "No. 29641". The London Gazette. 27 June 1916. p. 6338.
  7. ^ "No. 31663". The London Gazette. 28 November 1919. p. 14674.
  8. ^ "No. 13539". The Edinburgh Gazette. 16 December 1919. p. 4082.
  9. ^ "No. 32525". The London Gazette. 22 November 1921. p. 9241.
  10. ^ "No. 32540". The London Gazette. 6 December 1921. p. 9888.
  11. ^ "Midleton, Earl of (UK, 1920 - 1979)". www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk. Heraldic Media Limited. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  12. ^ "No. 29822". The London Gazette. 14 November 1916. p. 10965.
  13. ^ "No. 28388". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 June 1910.
  14. ^ "No. 29041". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 January 1915. p. 479.
  15. ^ "No. 29368". The London Gazette. 16 November 1915. p. 11320.
  16. ^ "No. 32824". The London Gazette. 18 May 1923. p. 3522.
  17. ^ "No. 33179". The London Gazette. 2 July 1926. p. 4405.
  18. ^ "No. 14866". The Edinburgh Gazette. 3 June 1932. p. 448.
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