Edward Chaplin

Edward Graham Mellish Chaplin (born 21 February 1951) is a British diplomat, notable for serving as British ambassador in occupied Iraq from April 2004. Until January 2011 he served as British ambassador to Italy. He was the former Prime Minister's Appointments Secretary.

Education and personal life Chaplin was educated at Wellington College, an independent school near the village of Crowthorne in Berkshire, followed by Queens' College, Cambridge, from which he graduated with a BA 1st Class Hons. Degree in Oriental Studies, in 1973.

Married Nicola Helen Fisher. One son, 2 daughters.

Life and career Chaplin headed the Middle East and North Africa department at the Foreign Office in the 80s, notably being briefly detained and assaulted by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in 1987.

Chaplin represented UK at the Nasiriyah conference, where he declared, in April 2003:

In April 2004, after the Invasion of Iraq, Chaplin was appointed ambassador to the Iraqi Governing Council in occupied Iraq.

Chaplin was one of the witnesses of The Iraq Inquiry.

Career highlights 1973 Entered FCO 1975–77 Muscat 1977–78 Brussels 1978–79 École Nationale d'Administration, Paris 1979–81 On secondment to CSD as Private Secretary to Lord President of the council, Leader of the House of Lords 1981–84 FCO 1985–87 Head of Chancery, Tehran 1987–89 FCO 1990–92 On secondment to Price Waterhouse Management Consultants, 1990–92 1992–96 Deputy Permanent Representative, UKMIS Geneva 1997–99 Head, Middle East Department, FCO 2000–02 Ambassador to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan 2002–04 Director, Middle East and N Africa, FCO 2004–05 Ambassador to Iraq 2005–06 Visiting Fellow, Centre of International Studies, University of Cambridge 2006–11 Ambassador to Italy

On 1 December 2009, Chaplin gave evidence to The Iraq Inquiry in which he spoke about post-war planning for Iraq.

Sources and references

Who's Who 2009