Women in Diplomacy: The FCO, 1782-1999

ambassadress in Paris, 1824-28, I83I-4I, and are complemented by The Private Letters of Princess Lieven to Prince Mettemich I82o-1826 edited by Peter Quennell (London, 1937) in which the wife of the Austrian Ambassador to London gives sparkling pen-pictures of her contemporaries. See also Dennis Wright, 'Memsahibs in Persia' in Asian Affairs, Vol. I4, Part I, pp.5-I4.

For the later nineteenth century, see Mrs Hugh Fraser, A Diplmnatist's Wifi in Many Lands (2 vols, London, I9 I I) for the lively reminiscences of the American wife of a British diplomat who served in Peking and Tokyo, as well as Europe. She wrote other works on the subject, including A Diplmnatist's Wift in Japan (1899) of which a new edition has been edited by Hugh Cortazzi, (New York, 1982). Mary King Waddington was the American wife of the French Ambassador to Moscow and London, and her utters of a Diplmnatic Wye (London, I903) show a keen observer of social detail.

For a conspectus of twentieth century attitudes and experiences, see the following autobiographies: A M Borrill, Nomads Are We (Ilfracombe, 1974); Ann Bridge, Facts and Fictions (London, 1968); Angela Caccia, Beyond Lake Titicaca (London, 196g); Esme Cromer, From this Day Forward (London, 1991); Viscountess D'Abernon, Red Cross and Berlin Embassy (London, I946); Jane Ewart-Biggs, Pay, Pack and Follow (London, I 984); Marie N oele Kelly, Dawn to Dusk (London, I960) and Mirror to Russia (London: Country Life, I952); Maureen Tweedy, A Label Round Tf!Y Neck (London, 1976); Masha Williams, The Consul's Memsahib (Lewes, Sussex, 1985); and Exiled w America (Lewes, Sussex, I987). Betty Holman's Memoirs of a Diplomat's Wifi (Wilton 65, I998) cover Lady Holman's postings between I940 and 1954. In Baghdad the Holmans were caught up in the Rashid Ali rebellion, while in Tehran Lady Holman helped to organise the I943 Tehran Conference. Then they were posted to Paris with the Duff Coopers. After Paris they went to Romania, where they experienced life behind the 'iron curtain' before their final posting to Cuba.

Beryl Smedley's Partners in Diplomag (The Harley Press, I IA Beehive Lane, Ferring, West Sussex, BNI2 5NN, 1990) examines the changes over the generations in backgrounds and attitudes illustrated by a wealth of contemporary anecdotes, and considers whether opportunities since the I 97os for women to have their own careers has diminished their sense of dedication to their husbands' profession. It also contains a comprehensive bibliography. Section IV of this Note draws very heavily on Lady Smedley's invaluable survey. For a pioneering investigation of the social pressures on servicemen and women and their families, which has some interesting parallels with the diplomatic service, see Ruth Jolly, Military Man, Family Man, Crown Prop~ (London, I987), also Annie Jones's Gwnboots & Pearls (Owl Press, Kingston-Upon-Thames, Iggo). Katie Hickman, a diplomat's daughter (who is also married to a diplomat), has just published a study of the realities of diplomatic life and the women who lead it in her book Daughrers of Britannia (HarperCollins, I999).