Robin Renwick, Baron Renwick of Clifton

The Right Honourable The Lord Renwick of Clifton KCMG
Member of the House of Lords
In office 26 September 1997 – 31 March 2018
British Ambassador to the United States
In office 1991–1995
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	John Major
Preceded by	Antony Acland
Succeeded by	The Lord Kerr of Kinlochard
British Ambassador to South Africa
In office 1987–1991
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher John Major
Preceded by	Patrick Moberly
Succeeded by	Anthony Reeve
Personal details
Born	(1937-12-13) 13 December 1937
Nationality	British
Spouse	Annie Renwick
Children	2 (1 son, 1 daughter)

Robin William Renwick, Baron Renwick of Clifton, KCMG (born 13 December 1937) is a former diplomat and a former member of the House of Lords. He was appointed by Prime Minister Blair but moved to the crossbenches in 2007. He retired from the House in 2018.

Lord Renwick was educated at St Paul's School and graduated from Jesus College, Cambridge, in 1962 with a Master of Arts in history. He further studied at the Sorbonne.

From 1956 to 1958 he completed national service in the British Army. In 1963 he entered the British Foreign Service and had the postings detailed below.

Renwick was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 1980 New Year Honours and was promoted to Knight Commander (KCMG) in the 1989 New Year Honours.

He was recommended for a life peerage and created Baron Renwick of Clifton, of Chelsea in the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, on 26 September 1997.

Diplomatic posts held

Diplomatic service:

• Dakar, Senegal, 1963–64
• Foreign Office, 1964–66
• New Delhi, 1966–70
• Private Secretary to Minister of State, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, 1970–72
• First Secretary, Paris, 1972–76
• Counsellor, Cabinet Office, 1976–78
• Head of Rhodesia Department, FCO, 1978–80
• Political Adviser to Governor of Rhodesia, 1980
• Head of Chancery, Washington, 1981–84
• Assistant Under-Secretary of State for European affairs, FCO, 1984–87. Helped to negotiate the 1984 UK rebate, a two-thirds reduction in the British financial contribution to the European Communities

Ambassador to:

• South Africa, 1987–91; involved in the release of Nelson Mandela
• United States, 1991–95

Directorates held

Lord Renwick has served on the board of directors of the following firms:

• BHP
• British Airways
• Richemont
• Fluor Corporation
• Harmony Gold
• Kazakhmys
• SABMiller

He also served as Deputy Chairman, Robert Fleming Bank, then Deputy Chairman, Fleming Family and Partners

• Vice-chairman, JP Morgan Europe
• Vice-chairman, JP Morgan Cazenove (previously Cazenove)
• Excelsior Mining Corp.

He currently serves as

• Chairman, Advisory Board, Stonehage Fleming
• Senior Adviser, Richemont
• Advisory Board, Appian Capital
• Director, Excelsior Mining
• Chairman, Kropz plc

Bibliography

• A True Statesman: George H. W. Bush and the ‘Indispensable Nation’ (London: Biteback Publishing, 2023) ISBN 9781785907845
• Not Quite A Diplomat: A Memoir(London: Biteback Publishing, 2019) ISBN 9781785904592
• How to Steal a Country: State Capture and Hopes for the Future in South Africa(London: Biteback Publishing, 2018) ISBN 9781785903618
• Fighting With Allies: America and Britain in Peace and War(London: Biteback Publishing, 2016) ISBN 9781849549790
• The End of Apartheid Diary of a Revolution(London: Biteback Publishing, 2015) ISBN 9781849548656
• Helen Suzman Bright Star In A Dark Chamber(London: Biteback Publishing, 2014) ISBN 9781849546676
• A Journey with Margaret Thatcher(London: Biteback Publishing, 2013) ISBN 9781849545334
• Economic Sanctions

References

The Rhodesia Settlement (De-Classified), Foreign & Commonwealth Office 2021

Robin Renwick, Not Quite a Diplomat (Memoir) Biteback Publishing 2019

Ann Bracken, "How to break into the White House", Biteback Publishing 2021

External links

• Interview with Robin William, Lord Renwick & transcript, British Diplomatic Oral History Programme, Churchill College, Cambridge, 1998