Seasoned British diplomat Andrew Noble retires after 41-year-career

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Alison Mutler
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Andrew James Noble, one of Britain’s most experienced and skilled diplomats has announced his retirement after an exciting and long career that saw him witness history first-hand around the world.
Mr. Noble ended his 41-year career as a diplomat from HM Diplomatic Service on Friday, he said in a post on Facebook.
Known for his wit, warmth, unflappability and astuteness, Mr. Noble served twice in Romania.

Foreign Office

He joined the Foreign Office in September 1982, receiving his letter of appointment on the day the UK re-took the Falkland Islands from Argentina.
In a short message on Friday, Mr. Noble, 63, reflected how the world had changed during his career.
“I began work thinking the Cold War would be with us always,” he said.

His Majesty

“I have loved being a servant of my monarch, HM Government and the British people in this capacity. Public service is a big part of the glue that holds our society together. I am particularly honoured to have been made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO) by Her late Majesty The Queen in South Africa in 1995 and to have worked for His Majesty the King in Romania,”he wrote.
He paid tribute to his wife Helen, who gave up her own diplomatic career to “take on the un-heralded role of accompanying spouse ever since we arrived in the city of President Mandela’s Government in June 1994.”
“The job of accompanying partner is far tougher than that of being the diplomat and she carried it off with total skill and niceness. Our four wonderful children had to learn how to balance the advantages and downsides of diplomatic life, especially when this meant being schooled in a different country to their parents.”

Choir

“And I even learnt to conduct a choir or two along the way!”, he said. He conducted the choir at the Church of the Resurrection from 2020 to 2023, concerts which were broadcast on Romanian television. Helen Noble was the choir’s strongest alto and she also stepped into conducting duties when Mr. Noble was unable to make choir practice. Daughters Matilda and Cecilia were soloists in the choir (both sopranos) and performed in Bucharest and Transylvania.
Romania was one of his first postings, when the country was in the grip of communism. The cold winter night he arrived, he was corralled into the church choir
His last posting was to Romania, which he left last year after almost five years as ambassador.

Positive

He was „overwhelmingly sad” about his departure but positive about changes that happened during „an intense five years,” he told Universul.net

Last year, he welcomed King Charles III on his first visit abroad since his coronation on May 6, 2023,  and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.

Romania holds a special place in his heart and he is vastly more optimistic than some Romanians.

In the interview he said that Romania’s economy has outpaced other countries in the region. Its GDP is better than Greece and Croatia, although its leaders haven’t managed to get the message across.

British PMs

Aside from his time in Romania, Mr. Noble “met all the British Prime Ministers between 1982 and 2019 (meaning I am 3 short of a full set!) as well as almost all members of the Royal Family (then and now).”

“I had jobs twice in London which made me responsible for saving British lives overseas – a particularly welcome and important duty. I served twice in Romania, under Ceausescu in the 1980s and as Ambassador until October 2023, twice in Germany as well as in Greece, Algeria and South Africa.”

He defined British diplomacy as “the communication service which helps our nations solve global problems more effectively. We’re involved in questions of war and peace, trade, immigration, looking after travellers, saving the planet from global warming and scores of other issues. I will miss the variety and the importance of this work.”

Family

“Thank you to everyone who has helped me over the past 41 years and I look forward to our paths crossing again,”he said in the interview last year. Watch this space.
Universul.net wishes Mr Noble and his family all the best and bids them: “La revedere.”

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