SOUTH AFRICAN DIPLOMATS REMEMBER: The Vice-Marshal of the UK Diplomatic Corps, and UK and US Diplomatic Uniforms with comments on the Treaty of Ghent

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Hi Tom,

I was inspired to write the attached historical note about Anna Clunes and UK and US Diplomatic Uniforms. It adds on to Professor Deon Fourie’s comments. If you think it of interest you could post it on your Diplomats Remember blog.

Kind regards.

François

Read on .....

Ambassador Peter Ammon and Vice-Marshal Anna Clunes after returning from Buckingham Palace

Anna Clunes, Vice-Marshal and the Office of the Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps:

The above photograph was taken the day Peter Ammon presented his credentials as German Ambassador to the United Kingdom. He has been in this post since May 2014 and his CV can be read in Wikipedia (under Peter Ammon). He is a former State Secretary at the German Foreign Office (2008-2011) and Ambassador to the United States (2011-2014).

Vice-Marshal Anna Clunes

The lady is Anna Clunes who at the time was Director of Protocol at the British Foreign Office (FCO) and as such was also Vice-Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps. She served in this capacity from October 2012 to January 2015 when she was appointed FCO Director of Economic iplomacy. Ms Clunes was succeeded at Protocol by Catherine Nettleton who had just completed a tour of duty as British Ambassador to Venezuela. The latter appointment was reportedly on an interim basis as Ambassador Nettleton was due for another posting.

Anna Clunes is obviously something of a go-getter at the FCO for according to an undated article in the online publication EMBASSY – Networking for diplomats “Ms Clunes made history at the Protocol Directorate, having successfully lobbied for the creation of a female Vice Marshal’s uniform to be worn at ceremonial occasions. It is the first FCO diplomatic uniform specifically designed for women and will now be passed on to her successor”.

The Vice-Marshal is a serving diplomat whereas the Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps has usually been an older gentleman (retired from his profession) and is described as follows in Wikipedia (under Marshal of the Diplomatic Corp):

“Her Majesty’s Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps is a senior member of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. He is the Queen’s link with the diplomatic community in London, arranges the annual Diplomatic Corps Reception by the Sovereign, organises the regular presentation of credentials ceremonies for Ambassadors and High Commissioners, and supervises attendance of diplomats at state events. Marshals generally hold office for 10-year terms and are normally retired senior military officers, though the last three Marshals have been diplomats. The Marshal is assisted by the Vice-Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps, the First assistant Marshal, and other Assistant Marshals”.

According to an article dated 9 October 2013 posted on the Royal Central website, the Marshal works as part of the Lord Chamberlain’s Office. Diplomats who have served in London will recall that invitations to the Queen’s annual garden parties are issued by the Lord Chamberlain. The same article reported that “the Royal Household have decided to outsource in their search for a new ‘Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps’ by placing an advertisement for the job on the Royal website’s job vacancies section”. The Marshal is based at St James’s Palace to which Heads of Mission to the UK are accredited. “The Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps must have ‘good knowledge of spoken French’, have natural interpersonal skills and the gravitas to influence at all levels, be a confident public speaker and have good planning, organisation and administration skills. The job description also specifies that the person should have ‘experience in a senior grade UK diplomatic post’”. The latter is probably a relatively new requirement as at least seven Marshals have been Generals or Admirals out of the eleven incumbents who have served in the position since it was created in 1920.

The British Mission at the Holy See:

In a blog dated 17 August 2015 Stephen Townsend, UK Deputy Head of Mission at the Holy See, writes the following:

“One of the quirks of being posted to the Holy See is that it is one of the few in the world where Ambassador and Deputy Head of Mission regularly have to wear diplomatic uniforms. It comes as a surprise to many that the Foreign Office has a uniform at all – unless they had considered the very outdated stereotype of pinstripes, rolled umbrella and a bowler hat as a uniform! In a number of countries Ambassadors wear their uniform for presentation of credentials and perhaps one or two other very formal occasions (and some Governors of our Overseas Territories also wear them).

But in the Holy See the diplomatic corps is required to wear either uniform or white tie for Papal asses and other ceremonial occasions. They get a regular airing, and I probably wear mine 12-15 times a year. We are not the only country to wear uniform as there are about a dozen others, and they provide a colourful spectacle at formal ceremonies”.

British Deputy Head of Mission Stephen Townsend greets His Holiness Pope Francis (2013).

“How many people can say that they walked into St Peter’s Basilica with a sword at their side”?

Townsend continues: “Diplomatic uniforms were first introduced in 1781, and their use spread during the 19th century. Mine is still based on 19th century court dress. It is a dark blue single breasted tail coat, lined with black silk, stand collar and gauntlet cuffs with black velvet facings and gilt braiding and gilt buttons. I also carry a bicorn hat (as seen in many a Hornblower series), gloves and a sword. The picture [above] gives the full impression. The main difference between my uniform and the Ambassador’s is that he has more braid on the collar and cuffs, and ostrich plumes in his hat.

These uniforms are not made from lightweight material. This is fine when a ceremony is in the Basilica in the autumn or winter, but it makes sitting out in St Peter’s Square under the Roman sun rather warm! But overall the uniform is another fascinating part of the posting here: how many people can say that they walked into St Peter’s Basilica with a sword at their side”?

United States diplomatic uniforms:

The Treaty of Ghent, 24 December 1814: “Isn’t diplomacy grand!” “Bully!”

The citation under the above picture comes from the online article, dated 10 June 2013, Foreign Service Test – Your Guide to the US Foreign Service – How to Dress Like a Diplomat. And yes, diplomacy is grand although the style of contemporary 21st Century diplomacy is much toned down compared to the diplomacy conducted in the chandelier-filled and gilded halls of the “chancelleries of Europe” when diplomacy was dominated by the Great Powers of Europe.

According to the undated online article Diplomatic Uniforms — Every Girl’s Crazy ‘Bout a Sharp Dressed Man until 1817 US diplomats designed their own uniforms but in 1829, the Jackson Administration designed a uniform consisting of “a black coat with a gold star on each side of the collar, black or white breeches, a foldable tricorn hat, a black cockade and eagle, and a steel-mounted sword with white scabbard. The uniform was not mandatory. Some officials wore more eccentric outfits according to their personal taste”. However, in 1853 Secretary of State William Marcy issued a circular suggesting that US diplomats wear the “simple dress of an American Citizen” and in 1867 the US Congress temporarily banned uniforms altogether “due to the rather showy nature of some of the individualised outfits.

Some diplomats felt uncomfortable with the lack of a uniform, feeling underdressed when attending official functions. A circular released in 1893 reaffirmed that the uniforms should be worn for ‘visits of ceremony… and on all proper occasions’. The decision to wear the uniform was left to the judgment and needs of the diplomat”.

According to the article, Ambassador Larz Anderson, who was a US diplomat from 1891 to 1987 and again from 1911 to 1913 – in between he was a wealthy businessman and served in the Spanish-American War (1898) – designed his own rather elaborate uniform which included a navy coat with gold detailing on the chest, collar, and cuffs. The jacket had long tails and in addition to wearing a feathered hat he carried a sword. This he wore as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Belgium (1911-1912) and as Ambassador to Japan (1912-1913). See the pictures below.

Ambassador Larz Anderson, United States Minister in Brussels then Ambassador in Tokyo

In 1937, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt issued an executive order stating that “no person in the diplomatic or consular service should wear a uniform or official costume not previously authorised by Congress”. The Foreign Service Act of 1946 stipulates that “no officer or employee of the Foreign Service is to wear any uniform except such as may be authorised by law”.

According to the article “the diplomatic uniform seen [above] … belonged to John Campbell White, who wore it in 1915-16 when he was Second Secretary in the US Legation in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg, Russia). The Diplomatic and Consular Services were not unified until the Rogers Act of 1924. This, then, was most likely a diplomatic, rather than a consular, uniform as it had gold embroidery while consular uniforms had silver. Note the impressive sabre handle (now that would be fun to wear at cocktail parties!)”

As a matter of interest the above cited Foreign Service Test article, which is directed at candidates for recruitment to the State Department, reflects on how diplomats should dress today:

“The gold embroidery and pointy hat may be gone, but that doesn’t mean you can just wear whatever you want and expect to fit in. Each post around the world will be a bit different when it comes to everything, even dress code. Of course, you’re still trying to get in to the Foreign Service so let’s focus on the three most important days you have at the start of this journey: the FSOT [Foreign Service Officer Test], the FSOA [Foreign Service Oral Assessment], and your first day in A-100” which is the Foreign Service Orientation Program, so-called after the classroom it was once held in.

For the FSOT, as it is a computerised test being administered by proctors, it does not matter how you dress. “All that matters is how you do on the test ... Wear whatever you like”. However, for the FSOA “dress to impress. This is your first interaction with your potential colleagues and supervisors. All of the assessors are Foreign Service Officers and they know that State still sticks to a pretty traditional button-down dress code. You need to look like you can fit the part ... For guys this means a suit. For ladies probably a jacket, nice blouse, and pants or a skirt ... I would encourage women to think more office professional and not outdoor wedding”.

For your first day in A-100 “it’s time to pull out your best stuff. Much like the FSOA you will want to be wearing nice, formal business wear. Day one is not the time to be a trendsetter. You will be meeting many new people that day, several of whom will be Ambassadors. Also, most of the people you meet will be your colleagues, contacts, and the backbone of your State Department reputation for your entire career. You want them to take you seriously. Five years down the road you will be after that sweet gig in Paris and your potential boss will ask one of your classmates what he thinks of you. Do you want him to say, ‘Oh yeah, Susan is great. Very smart and you can
depend on her’ or ‘Susan? Well, she wore fishnet stockings and a tiara on her first day, so…’”.

Solving the apparent mystery surrounding the painting of the British and United States delegations at the signing of the Treaty of Ghent of 1814:

Around five years ago captions under representations of the painting of the signing of the
Treaty of Ghent described the uniformed officers as British diplomats. Currently the captions
all indicate that the uniformed men are US diplomats. Both versions are incorrect.

Instead it is suggested that the uniforms are worn by officers of the British Royal Navy. The principal officer holding what must be a copy of the Treaty is none other than Vice-Admiral James Gambier, 1st Baron Gambier. He subsequently was made an Admiral of the Fleet. In the painting he wears a Vice-Admiral’s uniform similar to that of Lord Nelson when in the same rank – see the pictures below including that of Nelson’s uniform. That Admiral Gambier was asked to lead the British delegation, notwithstanding his military background and role, was not unusual in British diplomacy. For example, the Duke of Wellington played a prominent part in the diplomacy of the Sixth Coalition (1812–1814), was appointed Ambassador to France in 1814 and replaced the Foreign Secretary, Lord Castlereagh, as head of the British delegation at the Congress of Vienna.

Top: Admiral Lord Gambier; Below: Lord Nelson’s Vice-Admiral’s full dress coat, RN pattern 1795-1812

Perhaps adding to the mystery or confusion is the man carrying the red folder – which already looks like a classic British Government folder for State Papers – and this gives him away as a member of the British delegation. He is the British Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies, Henry Goulburn. His being dressed in mufti (civilian attire) encourages the impression that it is the Americans who are in uniform but this is not the case.

John Quincy Adams, Sixth President of the United States (1825-1828)

In the painting of the Treaty of Ghent Lord Gambier is seen shaking hands with John Quincy Adams who since 1809 had been serving as the first Minister of the United States to St. Petersburg but who in April 1814 was recalled from Russia by President James Madison to act as leader of the US delegation in the Anglo-American negotiations which resulted in the Treaty of Ghent and the formal ending of the War of 1812 between the United Kingdom and the United States. That Lord Gambier’s interlocutor is indeed Adams is evident by simply glancing at other depictions of the American diplomat and Sixth President of the United States, as in the pictures above.

François Theron, Bryntirion, 14 March 2016

Some more British diplomatic uniforms: