Remembering MI5's first female boss and author Dame Stella Rimington
She was an accomplished author and also widely credited as the inspiration for Dame Judi Dench's M, the chief of sister agency MI6, in the James Bond films.
Dame Stella passed away on Sunday night, with her family later releasing the following statement: "She died surrounded by her beloved family and dogs and determinedly held on to the life she loved until her last breath."
Ken McCallum, MI5's current chief, said she was 'the first avowed female head of any intelligence agency in the world' and praised her for breaking 'through longstanding barriers'. She was, he added: 'A visible example of the importance of diversity in leadership.'
Born Stella Whitehouse in South Norwood on 13 May 1935, Rimington was appointed deputy director general in 1991 and then director general a year later. She held the post from 1992 to 1996.
She became the first head of MI5 to be publicly identified when appointed and used her time as director general to bring the service out of the shadows.
After leaving MI5 in 1996, Rimington was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II.
In her first interview after leaving the agency, with the Guardian, Rimington said she was drawn to the world of espionage in spite of 'all of these tweedy guys with pipes'.
'I still thought the essence of the cold war and spies and stuff was fun. You know, going around listening to people's telephones and opening their mail and stuff,' she added.
Following her tenure at MI5, the ex-spymaster began a career as a novelist and even chaired the judging panel for the Man Booker Prize for literature.
Her first book, 'Open Secret', was a memoir published in 2001. It created a stir, as the UK government at the time weren't pleased about the plublication of a tell-all book. A series of novels followed, including eight with the character of Liz Carlyle, a fictional MI5 officer.
In 2022, Rimington published 'The Devil's Bargain,' which introduced a new heroine, CIA officer Manon Tyler.
Following in Rimington's footsteps in top UK intelligence posts were Eliza Manningham-Buller, who led MI5 between 2002 and 2007, and Blaise Metreweli, who was named as the first female head of MI6 in June.
Dame Stella Rimington is survived by her husband, two daughters, five grandchildren, and her dogs.
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Euronews
3 days ago
- Euronews
Remembering MI5's first female boss and author Dame Stella Rimington
Dame Stella Rimington, the trailblazing first female director general of MI5, the UK's domestic counter-intelligence and security agency, died aged 90. She was an accomplished author and also widely credited as the inspiration for Dame Judi Dench's M, the chief of sister agency MI6, in the James Bond films. Dame Stella passed away on Sunday night, with her family later releasing the following statement: "She died surrounded by her beloved family and dogs and determinedly held on to the life she loved until her last breath." Ken McCallum, MI5's current chief, said she was 'the first avowed female head of any intelligence agency in the world' and praised her for breaking 'through longstanding barriers'. She was, he added: 'A visible example of the importance of diversity in leadership.' Born Stella Whitehouse in South Norwood on 13 May 1935, Rimington was appointed deputy director general in 1991 and then director general a year later. She held the post from 1992 to 1996. She became the first head of MI5 to be publicly identified when appointed and used her time as director general to bring the service out of the shadows. After leaving MI5 in 1996, Rimington was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II. In her first interview after leaving the agency, with the Guardian, Rimington said she was drawn to the world of espionage in spite of 'all of these tweedy guys with pipes'. 'I still thought the essence of the cold war and spies and stuff was fun. You know, going around listening to people's telephones and opening their mail and stuff,' she added. Following her tenure at MI5, the ex-spymaster began a career as a novelist and even chaired the judging panel for the Man Booker Prize for literature. Her first book, 'Open Secret', was a memoir published in 2001. It created a stir, as the UK government at the time weren't pleased about the plublication of a tell-all book. A series of novels followed, including eight with the character of Liz Carlyle, a fictional MI5 officer. In 2022, Rimington published 'The Devil's Bargain,' which introduced a new heroine, CIA officer Manon Tyler. Following in Rimington's footsteps in top UK intelligence posts were Eliza Manningham-Buller, who led MI5 between 2002 and 2007, and Blaise Metreweli, who was named as the first female head of MI6 in June. Dame Stella Rimington is survived by her husband, two daughters, five grandchildren, and her dogs.
France 24
5 days ago
- France 24
Stella Rimington, first woman to lead UK's MI5 dies at 90
Rimington, who led MI5 from 1992 to 1996, was widely believed to be the inspiration behind the female role of M in the James Bond movies, played by UK star Judi Dench. She was the first director general of the intelligence service who was publicly named, as before Rimington's appointment in 1992, MI5 chiefs were never officially identified or photographed. Publication of her identity caused a press frenzy. "As the first avowed female head of any intelligence agency in the world, Dame Stella broke through long-standing barriers and was a visible example of the importance of diversity in leadership," the current MI5 director general Ken McCallum said in a statement. "Her leadership ushered in a new era of openness and transparency about the work MI5 does to keep this country safe, a legacy that continues to this day." MCallum presented his condolences to Rimington's husband, two daughters, and her whole family after her death on Sunday. In a statement, her family said: "She died surrounded by her beloved family and dogs and determinedly held on to the life she loved until her last breath." Born on May 13, 1935, in the southern London district of South Norwood, Rimington was first employed as a part-time typist at the British embassy in Delhi, having accompanied her diplomat husband to India. She then joined MI5 in a full-time post in 1969. Dubbed the "housewife superspy", the agency said Rimington had held various roles including in counter-subversion, counter-espionage and counter-terrorism. During her time as director general, the agency "underwent far-reaching transformation", the statement said. It also moved its headquarters and "instituted a policy of greater public openness to demystify the work of MI5, including beginning a programme of releasing MI5 files to The National Archives". But Rimington triggered controversy when she published her memoirs "Open Secret" in 2001 after her retirement, with some accusing her of treason and MI5 of trying to block the publication. "It was quite upsetting because suddenly you go from being an insider to being an outsider and that's quite a shock," she told The Guardian daily newspaper at the time. But she added: "I've never been one to retreat at the first whiff of gunshot." Another woman, Eliza Manningham-Butler, took up the helm of MI5 between 2002-2007. And Blaise Metreweli was named in June as the first female head of the UK's overseas spy service MI6.
Euronews
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- Euronews
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