William Erskine (diplomat) facts for kids
Sir William Augustus Forbes Erskine (born October 30, 1871 – died July 17, 1952) was an important British diplomat. He made history as the first British ambassador to the country of Poland in modern times.
A Diplomat's Journey
William Erskine was the second son of a nobleman, Walter Erskine, who was the 11th Earl of Mar. William went to famous schools like Eton College and Magdalen College, Oxford.
In 1894, he started working for the Foreign Office. This is the part of the British government that deals with other countries. He worked in many different places around the world. These included Buenos Aires in Argentina, Tehran in Iran, Rome in Italy, and Stockholm in Sweden. In Stockholm, he was a chargé d'affaires in 1913. This means he was in charge of the embassy when the main ambassador was away.
From 1913 to 1917, he worked in Athens, Greece. He was a Counsellor of Embassy there. This is a senior diplomat who advises the ambassador. While in Greece, he was also part of a special group. This group helped manage Greece's money after a war in 1897.
Later, he was a Counsellor in Rome from 1917 to 1919. After that, he became a Minister to Cuba from 1919 to 1921. A Minister is a high-ranking diplomat, similar to an ambassador. At the same time, he also represented Britain in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
He then served as Minister to Bulgaria from 1921 to 1927. Finally, he became Minister to Poland in 1928. In 1929, his role in Poland became even more important. The British office in Poland was upgraded from a legation to an embassy. This meant he became the first British Ambassador to Poland. He stayed in this role until 1934. He was the first ambassador to Poland since the time of King Jan III Sobieski in the 1600s.
Special Awards and Honours
Sir William Erskine received several special awards for his work.
In 1906, he was given the title of MVO. This stands for Member of the Royal Victorian Order. He received this after helping the Prince of Wales (who later became King George V) during a royal wedding in Spain.
In 1926, he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG). This meant he could use the title "Sir".
In 1930, he received an even higher honour. He became a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG). This is one of the highest awards for diplomats. In the same year, he also became a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom. This is a group of important advisors to the British monarch.
