Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6)
Incumbent Sir Richard Moore since 2 October 2020; 4 years ago (2020-10-02)
Secret Intelligence Service
Abbreviation	C
Reports to	Foreign Secretary
Appointer	Foreign Secretary
Constituting instrument	Intelligence Services Act 1994
Formation	1909; 116 years ago (1909)
First holder	Captain Sir Mansfield Smith-Cumming
Succession	Blaise Metreweli
Salary	£169,999 (2010)

The Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service is the leader of a super-secret spy agency in the UK called the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), also known as MI6. This agency is part of the UK's intelligence network.

The Chief is chosen by the Foreign Secretary. They report directly to the Foreign Secretary. They also give yearly updates to the Prime Minister.

A cool tradition is that the Chief of MI6 often signs letters with just the letter "C". They use green ink for this! This started with the very first Chief, Captain Sir Mansfield Smith-Cumming. He signed his letters with a "C" in green ink, and the nickname "C" stuck for all future Chiefs.

History of the MI6 Chief Role
List of Chiefs of MI6
See also

History of the MI6 Chief Role

How the Spy Agency Started

Before 1909, the British government's spy work was mostly handled by the Foreign Office. The Army and Navy also had their own spy teams. But as tensions grew with Germany, the UK decided it needed a better way to gather information.

In 1909, a group called the Committee of Imperial Defence suggested creating a new agency. This agency was named the Secret Service Bureau. Its job was to organize spy activities and protect the Foreign Office from being too involved in secret operations.

The First "C" and Early Traditions

On October 1, 1909, Mansfield Smith-Cumming was asked to lead the foreign section of this new bureau. He faced some delays, but he officially started his work on October 7.

Cumming set up many of the traditions for the Chief's role. The most famous one is signing documents with "C" in green ink. This tradition is still followed today.

At first, the Chiefs were often from the Royal Navy. But later, leaders from other military branches and career intelligence officers took on the role. For example, Stewart Menzies from the Army became Chief in 1939.

When MI6 Became Public

For many years, the Secret Intelligence Service and its Chief were kept secret. People knew they existed, but it wasn't officially confirmed. In 1932, a writer named Compton MacKenzie was fined for revealing secrets in his book. One of the things he revealed was the "mysterious consonant" (the letter C) used by the Chief.

However, by 1968, newspapers like The Times openly named Stewart Menzies as a former head of the service. In 1994, the Intelligence Services Act officially recognized MI6 and the Chief's position.

Since then, the role has become more public. In 2010, John Sawers, who was Chief at the time, gave a public speech. This was a big deal because it was the first time a Chief had done something like that. The Chief is still the only member of MI6 whose identity is officially known to the public.

In 2010, it was reported that the Chief of MI6 earned a salary of £169,999.

The Next Chief

In June 2025, it was announced that Sir Richard Moore would step down. Blaise Metreweli will take over as the new Chief on October 1, 2025. She will be the first woman to hold this important position!

List of Chiefs of MI6

Here is a list of the people who have served as the Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service:

No.	Portrait	Name (born–died)	Term of office			Ref.
No.	Portrait	Name (born–died)	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref.
1		Captain Sir Mansfield Smith-Cumming (1859–1923)	7 October 1909	14 June 1923 †	13 years, 250 days
2		Admiral Sir Hugh Sinclair (1873–1939)	1923	4 November 1939 †	15–16 years
3		Major-General Sir Stewart Menzies (1890–1968)	1939	1952	13–14 years
4		Major-General Sir John Sinclair (1897–1977)	1953	1956	2–3 years
5		Sir Richard White (1906–1993)	1956	1968	11–12 years
6		Sir John Rennie (1914–1981)	1968	1973	4–5 years
7		Sir Maurice Oldfield (1915–1981)	1973	1978	4–5 years
8		Sir Arthur (Dickie) Franks (1920–2008)	1979	1982	2–3 years
9		Sir Colin Figures (1925–2006)	1982	1985	2–3 years
10		Sir Christopher Curwen (1929–2013)	1985	1989	3–4 years
11		Sir Colin McColl (born 1932)	1989	1994	4–5 years
12		Sir David Spedding (1943–2001)	1994	1999	4–5 years
13		Sir Richard Dearlove (born 1945)	1999	6 May 2004	4–5 years
14		Sir John Scarlett (born 1948)	6 May 2004	1 November 2009	5 years, 179 days
15		Sir John Sawers (born 1955)	1 November 2009	1 November 2014	5 years, 0 days
16		Sir Alex Younger (born 1963)	1 November 2014	30 September 2020	5 years, 334 days
17		Sir Richard Moore (born 1963)	1 October 2020	Incumbent ‒30 September 2025	4 years, 326 days
18		Blaise Metreweli (born 1977)	1 October 2025	Designate	−39 days