Face to Face with MI6 Director General Sir Richard Dearlove, KCMG The improbable tale of a Kent School alumnus who became a secret agent. And won a knighthood in the process.
Nicholas W. Wedge
Richard Dearlove ’63, KCMG
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FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME —seriously addicted to tales of espionage, secret agents and such—a golden opportunity had come my way. On a visit to the Kent campus, Britain’s former spymaster-in-chief (and trustee of the school since 2001) said he’d be pleased to chat with me about his life and career. Would it, I wondered in avid anticipation, throw a new light on the characters brought to fictional life by Ian Fleming, Graham Greene and John le Carré? Forewarned, however, I agreed not to snoop into Sir Richard’s more exotic off-the-record exploits— those still protected under Britain’s Official Secrets Act. No matter; even a casual talk with the recipient of Britain’s third-highest order of knighthood would provide insights about a period extending from the Cold War era up to the present day. And, besides, there was a particular mystery about Sir Richard’s early life that he might well enjoy unraveling for me. But, first things first, one should properly introduce the former spymaster by way of a brief CV. Born in Cornwall in 1945, he received his early schooling locally—and at the Monkton Combe School near Bath. From there, in 1962, Richard transferred, as an ESU (English-Speaking Union) scholarship student, to the Kent School. Not coincidentally, this was exactly the same educational route taken a few years earlier by his older brother, John Dearlove. An apt, diligent student and athlete, “Dick” Dearlove gained his Kent diploma, with high honors, in 1963. Returning to the U.K., he attended Queens’ College, Cambridge, receiving his B.A. degree in history in 1966. Immediately thereafter, Dearlove joined Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, where he spent 38 years in a variety of positions in the
KENT QUARTERLY
U.K. and many other countries. In recognition of his highly distinguished service, he was appointed chief (or “C”) in 1999, holding that post until his retirement from the SIS in 2004. Two years earlier (adding to the OBE he had already earned) Queen Elizabeth “accorded” him a Knight Commander of the Orders of St. Michael and St. George—a KCMG for short. Following his SIS career, Sir Richard was selected for both public- and private-sector consulting and advisory positions, corporate directorships—and was named master of Pembroke College, Cambridge, for a term that expires in 2015. He also currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of Kent School. So much for an overview. Now, back to that “mystery” of Sir Richard’s teenage trip to Connecticut. Why was Kent School his destination? Choices like that aren’t just made at random. “Of course not,” explained the affable, gregarious Sir Richard. “The answer, in fact, has to do with an extraordinary meeting that took place in 1927—between my father and Kent’s founder, Fr. Frederick Sill. The two men got to know each other at the Henley Royal Regatta— the first one Kent had ever competed in—and they formed a mutual admiration society that lasted for decades. Rowing sports, in which my dad was deeply involved, was their great bond. Does that help explain why Fr. Sill’s Kent School was always on my horizon when the time came?” It did indeed; and, mystery solved, this calls for a look at the fascinating life of Richard’s father, Jack Gilroy Dearlove—a native of London’s riverside borough of Fulham. An acknowledged over-achiever despite having lost a leg in a childhood accident, Jack