Eliza Manningham-Buller facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Baroness Manningham-Buller
LG DCB
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Official Portrait, 2022
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| Chancellor of the Order of the Garter | |
| Assumed office 18 June 2024 |
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| Monarch | Charles III |
| Preceded by | The Duke of Abercorn |
| Director-General of MI5 | |
| In office 7 October 2002 – 8 April 2007 |
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| Home Sec. | David Blunkett Charles Clarke John Reid |
| Preceded by | Stephen Lander |
| Succeeded by | Jonathan Evans |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal |
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| Assumed office 2 June 2008 Life Peerage |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Elizabeth Lydia Manningham-Buller
14 July 1948 Northampton, England |
| Parents | Reginald Manningham-Buller, 1st Viscount Dilhorne Lady Mary Lindsay |
| Relatives | The 2nd Viscount Dilhorne (brother) The Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne (first cousin) |
| Alma mater | Northampton High School Benenden School Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford |
| Occupation | Peer |
| Profession | Intelligence Officer |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom  |
| Branch/service | MI5 |
| Years of service | 1974–2007 |
| Rank | Director General of MI5 |
| Battles/wars | Investigation of Lockerbie bombing |
| Awards | Lady Companion of the Order of the Garter Dame Commander of the Order of the Bath |
Elizabeth Lydia Manningham-Buller, Baroness Manningham-Buller (born 14 July 1948) is a British intelligence officer who is now retired. She worked as a teacher for three years before joining MI5. MI5 is the UK's security service, protecting the country from threats at home.
She became the Director General of MI5 in October 2002. In this important role, she led MI5's response to the 7 July 2005 London bombings. After retiring in April 2007, she became a crossbench life peer in 2008. This means she was given a special title and a seat in the House of Lords for life. In June 2024, she became the first woman to be appointed Chancellor of the Order of the Garter by King Charles III.
Contents
A Career in Security
Lady Manningham-Buller taught English for three years before joining the Security Service in 1974. She was recruited at a party, which is a fun story! She focused on stopping terrorism, which was different from MI5's usual work of stopping spies. She was involved in the investigation of the Lockerbie bombing in 1988. This was a terrible event where a plane was bombed over Scotland.
Rising Through the Ranks
In the early 1980s, she was one of only five people who knew that a high-ranking Soviet official was secretly working for Britain. She worked in Washington, D.C., during the first Gulf War. In 1992, she started leading a new section focused on stopping terrorism in Ireland.
The next year, she joined the management board of the Security Service. She then became the director in charge of watching suspects and using special technology. In 1997, she became Deputy Director General. She took over as Director General in 2002, becoming the second woman to hold this top job.
Awards and Retirement
In 2005, she was given a special honour, becoming a Dame Commander of the Order of the Bath (DCB). She left MI5 in April 2007. In 2008, she was given the title Baroness Manningham-Buller.
After leaving MI5, she became involved with several important organizations. She joined the board of Imperial College London and later became its chairman. She also became a governor and then the first female chair of the Wellcome Trust, a charity that supports health research. Since 2015, she has been a co-president of Chatham House, a well-known international affairs think tank.
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On St George's Day in 2014, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Lady Manningham-Buller a Lady Companion of the Order of the Garter (LG). This is a very high honour. In 2023, she took part in the Royal Procession at the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla.
Personal Life and Family
Lady Manningham-Buller was the second of four children. Her father, Lord Dilhorne, was a politician and a very important legal officer in Britain. He was even the Lord Chancellor for two years.
Her mother, Lady Dilhorne, had an amazing role during World War II. She trained carrier pigeons! These pigeons were used to fly secret messages over France and Germany. They would carry important information back to her mother's pigeon loft. One of these brave pigeons even won a special medal for animals, the Dickin Medal. Another pigeon brought back vital information about German rockets.
Lady Manningham-Buller went to Northampton High School and Benenden School. In 1991, she married David John Mallock. She has five stepchildren from his previous marriage.
Important Public Statements
Baroness Manningham-Buller has given several important speeches and statements. These often shared her views on security and terrorism.
Views on Fighting Terrorism
In 2003, she spoke about the global fight against terrorism. She warned that the threat from international terrorism would last a long time. She also mentioned that new laws were needed to help protect people.
After the London Bombings
After the 7 July 2005 London bombings, she spoke about her disappointment that MI5 could not stop the attacks. She said that the world had changed. She suggested that some changes to our civil liberties might be needed to keep citizens safe.
MI5's Work After 9/11
In 2006, she gave a speech about MI5's work after the September 11 attacks in the US. She warned that MI5 was tracking many terror plots and networks, involving over 1,600 people. She also said that MI5 had grown by 50% since 9/11. She repeated her warning that future attacks might involve dangerous chemicals or radioactive materials.
Views on Detention Laws
In 2008, Baroness Manningham-Buller gave her first speech in the House of Lords. She spoke against government plans to hold terrorism suspects for longer periods without charge. She believed these plans were not practical and could harm civil liberties. Her speech was short but very powerful. Many other important people in the House of Lords supported her view.
Comments on the Iraq War
In 2010, she gave evidence to an inquiry about the Iraq War. She said that Britain's involvement in Iraq might have made some young people feel angry. She believed this anger contributed to the 2005 London bombings. She also stated that the information about Iraq's threat was not strong enough to justify going to war.
Desert Island Discs and Reith Lectures
In 2007, after she retired, Lady Manningham-Buller was a guest on the famous BBC radio show Desert Island Discs. She talked about her personal life and her time in MI5. She also discussed the importance of protecting secret agents.
In 2011, she gave the prestigious BBC Reith Lectures. These are a series of talks on important topics. Her lectures were called "Securing Freedom."
Lectures on Terror, Security, and Freedom
In her first lecture, "Terror," she talked about the meaning of the 9/11 attacks. She also discussed how the war in Iraq affected the fight against terrorism.
In her second lecture, "Security," she stated that using torture is "wrong and never justified." She said it does not make the world safer and can harm a country's moral standing.
In her final lecture, "Freedom," she discussed foreign policy. She said it is sometimes "necessary" to talk to leaders who are not allies to protect security. She gave examples like Northern Ireland and Nelson Mandela, where former violent groups later became part of government.
See also
- List of terrorist incidents in the United Kingdom
