Sir Mark Lyall Grant | |
---|---|
United Kingdom National Security Adviser | |
In office 7 September 2015 – 13 April 2017 | |
Prime Minister |
David Cameron Theresa May |
Preceded by | Kim Darroch |
Succeeded by | Mark Sedwill |
Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations | |
In office 1 November 2009 – May 2015 | |
Monarch | Elizabeth II |
Prime Minister |
Gordon Brown David Cameron |
Preceded by | John Sawers |
Succeeded by | Matthew Rycroft |
Director-General for Political Affairs at the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office | |
In office 2007–2009 | |
Preceded by | John Sawers |
Succeeded by | Geoffrey Adams |
Personal details | |
Born | Hammersmith, London, England | 29 May 1956
Spouse(s) | Sheila, Lady Lyall Grant [1] |
Children | 2 |
Education | Eton College |
Alma mater | University of Cambridge |
Website |
www |
Sir Mark Justin Lyall Grant, GCMG (born 29 May 1956) is a former senior British diplomat who was previously the United Kingdom's National Security Adviser and Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations. [2]
Born in Hammersmith to Mary (née Moore) and Maj Gen Ian Lyall Grant MC, [3] Lyall Grant was educated at Eton College and read law at the University of Cambridge as a student of Trinity College, Cambridge. He was called to the bar at Middle Temple, London before joining the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1980. [1]
Lyall Grant was British Permanent Representative to the United Nations ( UN) from 2009 to 2015. [4] [5] He held the office of President of the United Nations Security Council four times: in November 2010, March 2012, June 2013, and August 2014.
Lyall Grant was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 2003 New Year Honours before being promoted to Knight Commander (KCMG) in the 2006 Birthday Honours and a Knight Grand Cross in the 2018 New Year Honours. [6] [7] [8]
On 7 July 2015, Number 10 Downing St announced that Lyall Grant would replace Sir Kim Darroch as the United Kingdom's National Security Advisor on 7 September 2015, with Darroch moving to a different diplomatic post. [9] As of September 2015, Lyall Grant was paid a salary of between £160,000 and £164,999, making him one of the 328 most highly paid people in the British public sector at that time. [10] On 27 February 2017 it was announced that Lyall Grant would retire in April and be replaced by the Home Office Permanent Secretary Mark Sedwill. [11] Since 2017, he has served on the governing board at Eton College. [12]
He was appointed King of Arms of the Order of St Michael and St George in 2022. [13]
His wife, Sheila, is also a diplomat. In April 2012, Lady Lyall Grant, with Huberta von Voss Wittig, made a video appeal to Asma al-Assad, calling on the Syrian first lady to take a stand against violence in her country. [14] The Lyall Grants have a son and a daughter. Lyall Grant's spare time activities include golf, tennis, and bridge. [4]