Odo Russell

Sir Odo William Theophilus Russell (3 May 1870 – 23 December 1951) was a British diplomat who was ambassador to Switzerland, the Vatican and the Netherlands.

Early life Russell was the second son of Odo Russell, later the first Baron Ampthill, by Lady Emily Villiers, daughter of George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon and Lady Katherine Grimston (daughter of the 1st Earl of Verulam). His elder brother was Arthur Russell, 2nd Baron Ampthill. Minister to the Holy See from 1922 to 1928 and Minister at The Hague from 1928 to 1933 (the last three posts were equivalent to modern ambassadorships). He was appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in 1909, Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in 1916, Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) in 1923 and Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in 1926.

Personal life On 25 June 1910, while he was stationed in Vienna, Russell married Countess Marie Louise von Rex (10 July 1890 – 16 November 1966), daughter of Count Rudolf Karl Caspar von Rex, the Saxon Minister at the Austro-Hungarian Court. Together, they had three sons:

Russell and his wife, the Countess, are buried in the churchyard of St Michael's, Chenies, together with other members of the Russell family.