Antony Acland

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| honorific-suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KG|GCMG|GCVO}}

| image = Antony Acland.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Acland in 1987

| order1 =

| ambassador_from1 = British

| country1 = United States

| term_start1 = 1986

| term_end1 = 1991

| monarch1 = Elizabeth II

| primeminister1 = {{Plainlist|

| predecessor1 = Sir Oliver Wright

| successor1 = Sir Robin Renwick

| order2 =

| office2 = Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs

| term_start2 = 1982

| term_end2 = 1986

| 1blankname2 = Foreign Sec.

| 1namedata2 = {{Plainlist|

| predecessor2 = Sir Michael Palliser

| successor2 = The Lord Wright of Richmond

| order3 =

| ambassador_from3 = British

| country3 = Spain

| term_start3 = 1977

| term_end3 = 1980

| monarch3 = Elizabeth II

| primeminister3 = {{Plainlist|

James Callaghan
Margaret Thatcher}}

| predecessor3 = Sir Charles Wiggin

| successor3 = Sir Richard Parsons

| order4 =

| ambassador_from4 = British

| country4 = Luxembourg

| term_start4 = 1975

| term_end4 = 1977

| monarch4 = Elizabeth II

| primeminister4 = {{Plainlist|

Harold Wilson
James Callaghan}}

| predecessor4 = John Roper

| successor4 = The Lord Wright of Richmond

| order5 =

| office5 = Principal Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary

| term_start5 = 1972

| term_end5 = 1975

| 1blankname5 = Foreign Sec.

| 1namedata5 = {{Plainlist|

Sir Alec Douglas-Home
James Callaghan}}

| predecessor5 = John Graham

| successor5 = Stephen Barrett

| birth_name = Anthony Arthur Acland

| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1930|3|12}}

| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|2021|9|8|1930|3|12}}

| nationality = British

| spouse = {{Plainlist|

{{marriage|Clare Anne Verdon|1956|1984|end=d}}
{{marriage|Jennifer McGougan
|1987}}

}}

| children = 3, including Simon

| father = Peter Acland

| education = Eton College

| alma_mater = Christ Church, Oxford

| occupation =

| awards = {{Indented plainlist|

Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter (2001)
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (1986)
Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (1991)}}

| name = Sir Antony Acland

}}

Sir Antony Arthur Acland (12 March 1930 – 8 September 2021) was a British diplomat and a provost of Eton College.

Early life

Antony Acland was the second son of Bridget Susan (Barnett) and Brigadier Peter Acland. He was educated at Eton College, then in 1948 joined the Royal Artillery with a post-war "emergency commission".{{London Gazette |issue=38520 |date=25 January 1949 |supp=y |page=442}} After short army service he went up to Christ Church, Oxford, gaining a BA degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics in 1953 (later upgraded to MA). After leaving Oxford in 1953 he went straight into the Foreign Office (FO).{{sfn|BDOHP|2001|p=2}}

Career

After studying at the Middle East Centre for Arab Studies, Acland was posted to Dubai and then Kuwait, then back to the FO as Assistant Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary (Selwyn Lloyd, then Lord Home) 1959–62. He then served at the UK Mission to the UN, first in New York City 1962–66, then at Geneva 1966–68. Back at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) he was head of the Arabian department 1970–72.

Acland was Principal Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary (Sir Alec Douglas-Home, then James Callaghan) 1972–75. He was Ambassador to Luxembourg 1975–77{{London Gazette|nolink=1 |issue=46681 |date=11 September 1975 |page=11464}} and to Spain 1977–79. He was Deputy Under-Secretary at the FCO 1979–82, a post which then entailed chairing the Joint Intelligence Committee. In 1982 he was promoted to Permanent Under-Secretary and head of the Diplomatic Service. Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands in April 1982 and Acland came into collision with the Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, over the diplomatic response. At one point during a heated discussion he threatened to resign, whereupon Thatcher backed down and said "All right, no more Foreign Office bashing."{{sfn|BDOHP|2001|p=33}}

Acland was Ambassador to the United States at Washington, D.C., 1986–91, then retired from the Diplomatic Service and was Provost of Eton College 1991–2000.{{London Gazette|nolink=1 |issue=52592 |date=2 July 1991 |page=10098}}

Acland was a member of the Founding Council of the Rothermere American Institute at Oxford, helping to raise funds for the institute's building and library.{{cite web |url=http://www.rai.ox.ac.uk/about/history/foundingcouncil |title=Founding Council |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121117021312/http://www.rai.ox.ac.uk/about/history/foundingcouncil |archive-date=17 November 2012 |publisher=Rothermere American Institute}}

Honours

Acland was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 1976 New Year Honours{{London Gazette|nolink=1 |issue=46777 |date=30 December 1975 |supp=y |page=4}} and made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in November of that year after the Queen's state visit to Luxembourg,{{London Gazette|nolink=1 |issue=47074 |date=23 November 1976 |page=15755}} after which he was styled "Sir Antony Acland". He was given the additional knighthood of Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 1982 Birthday Honours{{London Gazette|nolink=1 |issue=49008 |date=12 June 1982 |page=4 |supp=y}} and promoted to Knight Grand Cross of that same order in the 1986 Birthday Honours{{London Gazette|nolink=1 |issue=50551 |date=14 June 1986 |page=3 |supp=y}} and Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order in the 1991 Birthday Honours.{{London Gazette|nolink=1 |issue=52557 |date=11 June 1991 |page=8957}} He was Chancellor of the Order of St Michael and St George between 1994 and 2005.{{cite news|title=Court Circular|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/court-circular-1421562.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220061933/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/court-circular-1421562.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 December 2013|newspaper=The Independent|date=10 June 1994}} In 2001 he was given the rare honour of appointment as a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter.{{London Gazette|nolink=1 |issue=56183 |date=23 April 2001 |page=4839}}

Personal life

In 1956, Acland married Clare Anne Verdon; they had a daughter and two sons, including Simon Acland. Clare died in 1984; in 1987 he married Jennifer McGougan.

He died in September 2021, at the age of 91.{{Cite news |date=9 September 2021 |title=Sir Antony Acland, Foreign Office Permanent Under-Secretary and Ambassador to the US who became a favourite of Mrs Thatcher – obituary |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2021/09/09/sir-antony-acland-foreign-office-permanent-under-secretary-ambassador/ |url-access=registration |access-date=2025-02-08 |work=The Telegraph |department=Telegraph Obituaries |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}} His death came one day before that of fellow Knight Companion of the Garter Sir Timothy Colman.{{Cite web|last=Bishop|first=Donna-Louise|date=2021-09-09|title=Organisations across Norfolk pay tribute to Sir Timothy Colman|url=https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/obituaries/norfolk-organisations-pay-tribute-to-sir-timothy-colman-8309948|access-date=2021-09-11|website=Eastern Daily Press}}

Arms

{{Infobox COA wide

|name = Sir Antony Arthur Acland, KG, GCMG, GCVO

|image = File:Coat of Arms of Antony Arthur Acland.svg

|imagesize = 190px

|bannerimage = Garter Banner of Sir Antony Acland.svg

|badgeimage =

|notes = Knight since 1986

|adopted =

|crest = Upon a hand Argent and Sable, a falcon Argent.

|torse =Mantling Sable doubled Argent.

|helm =

|escutcheon = Chequy Argent and Sable a fess Gules in chief a mullet of five points Argent.

|supporters =

|compartment =

|motto =

|orders =The Order of the Garter circlet;{{cite web |url=http://www.heraldicsculptor.com/gartcres.html |title=Anthony Acland's banner of arms image |work=Heraldic Sculptor |access-date=20 December 2013}}{{cite web |url=http://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/assets/images/About/Features/StrangerKnightsbanners002.jpg |title=Banner image |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231000420/http://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/assets/images/About/Features/StrangerKnightsbanners002.jpg |archive-date=31 December 2013 |work=St George-Windsor |access-date=20 December 2013}}{{cite web |url=http://www.heraldicsculptor.com/hawk3.jpg |title=Anthony Acland's crest image |work=Heraldic Sculptor |access-date=20 December 2013}} Order of St Michael and St George; Royal Victorian Order

|other_elements =

|banner = The banner of Sir Antony Acland's arms used as Knight Companion of the Garter depicted at St George's Chapel.

|badge =

|symbolism =

|previous_versions =

}}