Anne Warburton facts for kids

Dame Anne Warburton (born June 8, 1927 – died June 4, 2015) was a very important British diplomat. She made history as the first woman from Britain to become an ambassador. An ambassador is like a country's main representative in another country.

Dame Anne served as the British Ambassador to Denmark from 1976 to 1983. Later, she was the British Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva from 1983 to 1985. After her career in diplomacy, she became the President of Lucy Cavendish College at Cambridge University. She held this role from 1985 to 1994.

Her Amazing Career

Anne Marion Warburton studied at Barnard College in New York and Somerville College at Oxford University. She started her career working for different organizations. These included the Economic Cooperation Administration in London and the NATO Secretariat in Paris. She also worked for a company called Lazard Brothers.

In 1958, Anne joined the Diplomatic Service. This is where people work for the government to represent their country abroad. After two years in London, she was sent to the UK Mission to the United Nations in New York City. This was from 1959 to 1962. She was promoted to First Secretary during this time.

She then worked at the British embassy in Bonn, Germany, from 1962 to 1965. After a period back in London, she moved to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). In 1970, she became a Counsellor at the UK's mission to the United Nations in Geneva.

First Female Ambassador

In April 1976, Anne Warburton was appointed the British Ambassador to Denmark. She stayed in this role until 1983. This was a very special moment because she was the first woman to become a British ambassador.

There was another woman, Barbara Salt, who was supposed to be an ambassador earlier. But she became very ill and could not take up the job. Another woman, Eleanor Emery, was a British High Commissioner to Botswana. A High Commissioner is similar to an ambassador but for countries in the Commonwealth.

Later Roles and Retirement

After her time in Denmark, Anne Warburton became the UK's permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva. This was from 1983 to 1985. She also helped lead the UK team at a big UN conference for women in Nairobi in 1985. This conference marked the end of the United Nations Decade for Women.

Anne retired from the Diplomatic Service in 1985. She then became the President of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge until 1994. During this time, she was also a member of the Equal Opportunities Commission. This group works to make sure everyone has fair chances. She also served on the Committee on Standards in Public Life. This committee helps ensure people in public jobs act honestly.

In 1993, Anne Warburton led a special team for the European Community. This team investigated how Muslim women were being treated in the former Yugoslavia.

Anne Warburton passed away on June 4, 2015, at her home in Eye, Suffolk, England. She is buried nearby.

Awards and Recognitions

Anne Warburton received many important awards for her work.

• She was given the CVO award in 1965 and the CMG award in 1977.
• In 1979, she was made a Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order. This is a very high honour.

She was also an Honorary Fellow at her old colleges, Somerville College, Oxford and Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge. This means they recognized her as a distinguished former student. Columbia University gave her a special award called the Barnard Medal of Distinction.

The government of West Germany gave her the Verdienstkreuz (Merit Cross), 1st Class, in 1965. This was for her excellent service in Bonn. She also received the Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog from Denmark. From Spain, she received the Lazo de Dama (Dame's Ribbon) of the Order of Isabella the Catholic.