ROME -- There is to be a change of Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Holy See, with Mrs Sally Axworthy MBE to take up her appointment during August of this year.

 Mrs Axworthy has been appointed in succession to Mr Nigel Baker OBE MVO, who is due to leave Rome in July and will be taking up another Diplomatic Service appointment.

 She is an experienced diplomat who has been working for the Foreign & Commonwealth Office since 1986 and has held a number of positions, both in London and overseas.

 In her most recent role she was based in London from July 2013, working as the Joint Head of the North Africa Department, though she has also worked in the Somalia Unit, as well as in Russia, Ukraine, Germany and India, amongst many other posts.

 Educated at Magdalan College, Oxford, she will be the second woman to hold the position.  Katheryn Colvin was Britain's Ambassador to the Holy See from 2002-2005.

 On the subject of her appointment, Mrs Axworthy stated:

 “I am honoured to be appointed Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Holy See.  I am looking forward to working with the Holy See on the range of global challenges that we collectively face”.

 Her full CV is available on the FCO website.

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