Veronica Sutherland

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Dame Veronica Sutherland

| honorific-suffix = DBE CMG

| birth_name = Veronica Evelyn Beckett

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1939|04|25}}

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| office = President of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge

| term_start = 2001

| term_end = 2008

| successor = Janet Todd OBE

| predecessor = Pauline Perry, Baroness Perry of Southwark

}}

Dame Veronica Evelyn Sutherland, DBE, CMG (née Beckett; born 25 April 1939) is a former British career diplomat who served in the Diplomatic Service of the United Kingdom from 1965 until 1999, including a stint as Ambassador to Ireland. After retirement, she was appointed President of the Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge from 2001 until 2008.{{Cite web |url=http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/current/special/03/16.html |date=2 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091020090800/http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/current/special/03/16.html |title=Cambridge University Reporter |archive-date=20 October 2009 |publisher=University of Cambridge }}

Background

Born to Lt Col Maurice Beckett and Constance Cavenagh-Mainwaring, Sutherland spent more than thirty years in the Diplomatic Service in mainland Europe, Africa and Asia, serving as Ambassador in three countries in francophone West Africa as well as British delegate to UNESCO.{{Cite web |url=http://www.irish-association.org/archives/veronica_sutherland04_04.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070708120927/http://www.irish-association.org/archives/veronica_sutherland04_04.html |title=Dame Veronica Sutherland former British Ambassador and current Principal of Lucy Cavendish College Cambridge - REFLECTIONS ON THE PEACE PROCESS AND ITS PARTICIPANTS |archive-date=8 July 2007 |publisher=The Irish Association }}

After Sutherland's service in Ireland, she was appointed Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General with responsibility for economic and social affairs. She was the first woman to hold such a high ranking Commonwealth post. She took up her Commonwealth post in February 1999, succeeding Sir Humphrey Maud, KCMG, who was retiring.{{Cite web |url=http://www.thecommonwealth.org/press/34582/140830/first_woman_commonwealth_deputy_secretary_general.htm |date=8 October 1998 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927021512/http://www.thecommonwealth.org/press/34582/140830/first_woman_commonwealth_deputy_secretary_general.htm |title=First woman Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Appointed |archive-date=27 September 2007 |publisher=Commonwealth Secretariat }}

She was appointed CMG in the 1988 Birthday Honours{{London Gazette|date=10 June 1988|page=4|issue=51365|supp=y}} and DBE in the 1998 Birthday Honours.{{London Gazette|issue=55155|supp=y|page=24|date=15 June 1998}}