John Margetson

Margetson was the younger son of the Very Rev. William Margetson and Marion Jenoure. He was educated at Blundell's School and St John's College, Cambridge, where he was a choral scholar. From 1947 to 1949, Margetson served his National Service with the Life Guards regiment of the Household Cavalry.

Following his period of National Service Margetson joined the Colonial Service and later the Diplomatic Service where he was speech writer to the Foreign Secretary, George Brown, 1966–68.

Margetson's later career included appointments as British Ambassador to Vietnam 1978–80,{{London Gazette |issue=47596 |date=20 July 1978 |page=8701}} deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations (with rank of ambassador) 1983–84, and ambassador to the Netherlands 1984–88. He was appointed CMG in 1979{{London Gazette |issue=47723 |date=30 December 1978 |supp=y |page=3}} and knighted KCMG in 1986.{{London Gazette |issue=50551 |date=14 June 1986 |supp=y |page=3}}

Following his retirement from the Foreign Office, Margetson devoted himself to various charities and was chairman of the Royal School of Church Music 1988–94, of the Yehudi Menuhin School 1990–94, and of the joint committee that manages the Royal College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music 1991–94. He served as Gentleman Usher of the Blue Rod from 24 July 1992 – 25 October 2002.{{London Gazette |issue=52999 |date=24 July 1992 |page=12509}}

In 1963, Margetson married Miranda, daughter of Sir William Coldstream. They had a son and a daughter.{{Cite book | url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-26602 | title=Margetson, Sir John (William Denys), (born 9 Oct. 1927), HM Diplomatic Service, retired | Who's WHO & WHO WAS WHO| doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U26602| isbn=978-0-19-954088-4}}{{Cite web | url=https://janus.lib.cam.ac.uk/db/node.xsp?id=EAD%2FGBR%2F0014%2FDOHP%20131 | title=Janus: British Diplomatic Oral History Programme}}

Margetson died on 17 October 2020, at the age of 93.{{cite news|title=Sir John Margetson, resourceful ambassador in Hanoi and speechwriter to George Brown – obituary|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2020/10/20/sir-john-margetson-diplomat-ambassador-hanoi-speechwriter-george/|work=The Telegraph|date=20 October 2020}} {{subscription required}}

• [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U26602 MARGETSON, Sir John (William Denys)], Who's Who 2014, A & C Black, 2014;online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014

{{Reflist}}

• [http://janus.lib.cam.ac.uk/db/node.xsp?id=EAD%2FGBR%2F0014%2FDOHP%20131 Interview with Sir John Margetson], British Diplomatic Oral History Programme, Churchill College, Cambridge

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{{Succession box| before=Sir John Moreton | title=Gentleman Usher of the Blue Rod | years=1992–2002 | after=Sir Anthony Figgis}}

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Category:1927 births

Category:2020 deaths

Category:People educated at Blundell's School

Category:Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge

Category:Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George

Category:Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to the Netherlands

Category:Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Vietnam