17/06/2009 00:00
TW
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NEWDESK THE British Ambassador to Spain, Denise Holt has been made Dame Commander of The Order of St Michael and St George in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the promotion of British interests overseas. The investiture ceremony will take place at Buckingham Palace later this year.

The Ambassador said: “This is a tremendous honour. I am grateful to all my colleagues in Spain, and in previous posts, who have made our teams so successful. But I am conscious that there is more to be done. In these difficult times for many of our compatriots, we will redouble our efforts to support British business, consular and other interests in Spain.” Dame Denise took up her post as British Ambassador to Spain in May 2007.
She was the first female Ambassador in five hundred years of resident diplomatic relations.
Previously, she was Ambassador in Mexico from 2002 to 2005.
Denise Holt joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1970 as an analyst specialising in Spain and Portugal.
In 1984 she was appointed First Secretary in Dublin, where she met her husband David (also serving in the British Embassy).
She subsequently served as Head of the Central America Section in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and as First Secretary in Brazil.
In 1993 Dame Denise became Deputy Head of the Department responsible for relations with the newly emerging countries of Central Asia and the Transcaucasus.

In 1996 she was appointed Deputy Director (later, Director) of Human Resources for the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.
Denise Holt was born in Vienna in October 1949, the daughter of a British diplomat. Her son, Patrick is studying Spanish at Birmingham University.