Foreign Officer high flyer, (who once met the PM with ripped trousers!) appointed new British ambassador to Spain

Amusing tale of meeting PM

The new British ambassador (second right) meeting the Prime Minister with ripped trousers at Delhi airport!

Jason Moore14/03/2024 12:46

The current British High Commissioner to India has been appointed as the new British ambassador to Spain. Alex Ellis previously was Deputy National Security Adviser for the Integrated Review on diplomacy, development and defence. Other former posts include the Director General of the Department for Exiting the European Union. He has also been British ambassador to Portugal and Brazil.

On X (formerly twitter) he recounted an amusing tale when he was at the airport in India last year to meet the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

"One of the biggest moments for an Ambassador/High Commissioner is when your head of government visits the country to which you’re accredited. Especially to the High Commissioner to India when your head of government is of Indian heritage and his wife is Indian. So extra anticipation as Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty arrive for the G20 Summit in Delhi. The red carpet unfurls…

"And I am ready, in my favourite suit - light, comfortable and my go to for many events. But…as I get up to go to the aircraft, disaster strikes. Yes, I have a huge rip in my trousers. But the red carpet is unfurled, the protocol is waiting, the plane door is about to open. And it’s windy….. . So it’s grin and hold it - note the firmly pressed arms tight by my side, and careful positioning to be downwind of the photographers. All passes without incident, amd the convoy is off. As DavidGHFrost once said to me, it’s the stuff they can’t train you for which makes the job…."

Alex Ellis will take up his new post in September. He succeeds Hugh Elliott who has been British ambassador to Spain for the last five years.

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tranq tranquer | about 1 year ago

Remember those two he met won't be around much longer. The UK is just a stop off. After the election and some time clearing up they will be off home to Daddy and his billions. After all a non dom declares they have no intention of permanently living in the UK which is what she did. The retraction was forced politically on them . British through and through. What a laugh.

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