Odo Russell (diplomat)

The Honourable Sir Odo William Theophilus Russell KCMG KCVO CB (3 May 1870 – 23 December 1951) was a British diplomat who was ambassador to Switzerland, the Vatican and the Netherlands.

Background[]

Russell was the second son of Odo Russell, later the first Baron Ampthill, by Lady Emily Villiers, daughter of George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon.

Career[]

Russell entered the Diplomatic Service in 1892 and served in Rome, Athens, St Petersburg, Berlin, Buenos Aires and Vienna, where he held the rank of counsellor from 1909 to 1915. He was then Diplomatic Secretary to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs from 1915 to 1919, Minister at Bern from 1919 to 1922,^[1] Minister to the Holy See from 1922 to 1928^[2] and Minister at The Hague from 1928 to 1933^[3] (the last three posts were equivalent to modern ambassadorships). He was appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in 1909, Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in 1916, Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) in 1923^[4] and Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in 1926.^[5]

Family[]

In 1910, while he was stationed in Vienna, Russell married Countess Marie Louise Rex, daughter of Count Rex, the Saxon Minister at the Austro-Hungarian Court. They had three sons.

Russell and his wife, the Countess, are buried in the churchyard of St Michael's, Chenies, together with other members of the Russell family.

References[]

RUSSELL, Hon. Sir Odo (William Theophilus Villiers), Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007, accessed 11 April 2012

^ "No. 31663". The London Gazette. 28 November 1919. p. 14674.
^ "No. 32781". The London Gazette. 29 December 1922. p. 9161.
^ "No. 33417". The London Gazette. 31 August 1928. p. 5767.
^ "No. 32824". The London Gazette. 18 May 1923. p. 3522.
^ "No. 33179". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 July 1926. p. 4405.

External links[]

Portraits of Sir Odo William Theophilus Villiers Russell at the National Portrait Gallery, London

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Sir Horace Rumbold, Bt	Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Swiss Confederation 1919–1922	Succeeded by Sir Milne Cheetham
Preceded by The Count de Salis-Soglio	Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary on a Special Mission to His Holiness the Pope 1922–1928	Succeeded by Sir Henry Chilton
Preceded by The Earl Granville	Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands 1928–1933	Succeeded by Sir Hubert Montgomery

[1] "No. 31663". The London Gazette. 28 November 1919. p. 14674.

[2] "No. 32781". The London Gazette. 29 December 1922. p. 9161.

[3] "No. 33417". The London Gazette. 31 August 1928. p. 5767.

[4] "No. 32824". The London Gazette. 18 May 1923. p. 3522.

[5] "No. 33179". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 July 1926. p. 4405.

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