Barbara Woodward

Dame Barbara Janet Woodward (born 29 May 1961) is a British diplomat and China expert.

Early years Woodward was born in Gipping, Suffolk, to Arthur Claude Woodward (1921–1992) and Rosemary Monica Gabrielle Fenton (1931−2017). Her father, who served in World War II as an officer of the Suffolk Regiment and won the Military Cross for gallantry, was later elected a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors,

Woodward was educated at South Lee School in Bury St Edmunds and at Saint Felix School, a co-educational independent boarding school in Southwold. In 1983, she took a MA in history from St Andrews. In 1988 she went to Yale University in the United States to further her studies on international relations, and obtained a postgraduate Master of Arts (MA) degree. In 2015, in a conversation with Lucy D'Orsi, Queen Elizabeth II said that Xi Jinping's officials "were very rude to the ambassador" (referring to Woodward), during an event at Lancaster House, London.

Woodward faced scrutiny for her reluctance to criticise China during her time in that post, according to an article in The Sunday Times. After a number of MPs were sanctioned by China for their criticism of an alleged genocide against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang province, Woodward was accused of being insufficiently robust in dealing with the issue. After leaving her posting in China, Woodward also told the pro-Beijing Global Times newspaper that Taiwan would never have independence.

Woodward was appointed Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations in 2020 and served in the role until 2025. During her final months of ambassadorship to the UN, she was shortlisted as one of the final two candidates for Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), which ultimately saw Blaise Metreweli appointed. She was subsequently appointed Deputy National Security Advisor under Jonathan Powell.

In 2026 Woodward was a candidate in the election for the position of Chancellor of the University of St Andrews, her alma mater, which was won by Dame Anne Pringle.

Personal life Woodward's hobbies include sports, particularly competitive swimming and tennis. She is a member of the Otter Swimming Club in London and has previously served as its Honorary Secretary. In 2011, she was included in the Birthday Honours and made a Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (CMG) for services to UK-China relations. In 2016, she was included in the Birthday Honours and promoted to Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (DCMG) for services to UK-China relations. She is the first female diplomat to be awarded a GCMG.