Michael Stewart

Sir Michael Norman Francis Stewart (18 January 1911 – 25 September 1994) was a British diplomat who served as Ambassador to Greece from 1967 to 1971.

Early life and education

Stewart was born on 18 January 1911, the son of Sir Francis Stewart, a wealthy businessman who served as High Sheriff of Calcutta, and Lady Frances Henrietta Stewart. He was educated at Shrewsbury School and Trinity College, Cambridge before he joined the Slade School of Art and then the Royal Academy School.

Career

Stewart began his career as assistant keeper at the Victoria and Albert Museum where he worked from 1935 to 1939. After he was refused for military service on the outbreak of World War II due to his partial deafness, he joined the Ministry of Information and was employed as press attaché at the British Embassy in Lisbon from 1941 until 1944. He was then transferred to the British Embassy in Rome serving as first secretary (Information).

Stewart returned to London in 1948 and was employed at the Foreign Office. In 1951, he was appointed counsellor in intelligence services at the UK Commission for South-East Asia based in Singapore, remaining in the post until 1954. From 1954 to 1959 he served as counsellor in Ankara, and then chargé d’affaires in Peking between 1959 and 1962 at a time when China was unwilling to exchange ambassadors. From 1962 to 1964 he worked as a civilian instructor at the Imperial Defence College before he was appointed minister at the British Embassy in Washington, serving from 1964 to 1967. In handling a difficult situation, according to The Times, "While personally disapproving of the junta, he saw it as his primary duty to maintain a working relationship with the regime—a path he trod with considerable skill." He remained in the post until his retirement in 1971.

In retirement, Stewart was a director for five years of the Ditchley Foundation, and a director of Sotheby's. and promoted to Knight Commander (KCMG) in the 1966 Birthday Honours. In the 1948 New Year Honours, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).