Sir Marcus John Cheke (20 October 1906 – 22 June 1960) was a British diplomat and courtier.
Career
Marcus Cheke was educated at
Clayesmore School and
Trinity College, Oxford. In the British
general election
A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
of 1929 he stood as
Liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
candidate for the
New Forest and Christchurch constituency but was defeated by the sitting MP,
Wilfrid Ashley
Colonel (British Army), Colonel Wilfrid William Ashley, 1st Baron Mount Temple, His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, PC (13 September 1867 – 3 July 1939) was a British people, British soldier and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative p ...
.
Cheke was Honorary
Attaché at the British Embassy,
Lisbon
Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
, 1931–34 and at
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
1934–37; Press Attaché, Lisbon, 1938–42; attached to the staff of the Lisbon Embassy with the local rank of First Secretary 1942–45; and
Vice-Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps 1946–57. He was appointed
Minister to the Holy See in 1957 and died in office in Rome in 1960. He was also an Extra
Gentleman Usher Gentleman Usher is a title for some officers of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom. See List of Gentlemen Ushers for a list of office-holders.
Gentlemen Ushers as servants Historical
Gentlemen Ushers were originally a class of servants fou ...
to
the Queen from 1957.
Cheke was appointed CVO in 1952, CMG in 1955 and knighted KCVO in 1957.
Personal
In 1939 Marcus Cheke married the Honourable Constance Elizabeth Lopes, daughter of the
1st Baron Roborough.
They had no children.
In 1945, when leaving Lisbon, Cheke donated a painting to the Câmara Municipal (city council), by him, depicting the Terreiro do Paço.
Publications
* ''Papillée'', Faber & Gwyer, London, 1927
* ''The licking
eminiscences of the author's childhood', Grayhound Press, Winchester, 1931
* ''Hide and Seek'', Collins, London, 1934
* ''A tale of Lisbon
poem', The Shakespeare Head Press, Oxford, 1937
* ''Dictator of Portugal: A Life of the Marquis of Pombal, 1699–1782'', Sidgwick & Jackson, London, 1938
* Acta n.º 99, Câmara Municipal de Lisboa, 1945
* ''Carlota Joaquina, Queen of Portugal'', Sidgwick & Jackson, London, 1947
* ''Guidance on Foreign Usages and Ceremony, and Other Matters, for a Member of His Majesty's Foreign Service on His First Appointment to a Post Abroad'', HM Diplomatic Corps, London, 1949
* ''The Cardinal de Bernis'', Cassell, London, 1958
References
CHEKE, Sir Marcus (John) Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007, accessed 19 Feb 2012
The Pope calls on Sir Marcus The Catholic Herald, 3 June 1960
Copac - Brief Record Display - Marcus Cheke
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cheke, Marcus John
1906 births
1960 deaths
Alumni of Trinity College, Oxford
Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George
Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to the Holy See
People educated at Clayesmore School