Michael Pakenham

Sir Michael Aidan Pakenham (born 3 November 1943) is a British retired diplomat. Background and education Pakenham is the third son of Labour politician Frank Pakenham, 7th Earl of Longford, and Elizabeth Harman. He is the brother of Thomas Pakenham, Lady Antonia Fraser and Lady Rachel Billington. He was educated at Ampleforth College and Trinity College, Cambridge, and was an exchange fellow at Rice University. Career Pakenham was briefly a reporter for the Washington Post before joining the Foreign Office in 1965. He served in Nairobi and Warsaw before being seconded to the Cabinet Office 1971–74 as Assistant Private Secretary, then Private Secretary, to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Geoffrey Rippon then John Davies), who at that time had special responsibilities for the co-ordination of British policy towards the European Communities. In 1974 Pakenham was at the CSCE in Geneva, then was posted to New Delhi 1974–78 and Washington, D.C. 1978–1983. He was Head of the Arms Control and Disarmament Department at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office 1983–87; Counsellor (External Relations) to the UK Permanent Representative to the European Community, Brussels, 1987–91; Ambassador and Consul-General to Luxembourg 1991–94; and Minister in Paris 1994–97.