Sir Philip Francis de Zulueta (2 January 1925 – 15 April 1989) was a British diplomat and businessman who served as private secretary for foreign affairs to three successive prime ministers.

Career

The son of

Francis de Zulueta Francis de Zulueta, FBA (born Francisco Maria José de Zulueta, 12 September 1878 – 16 January 1958) was the Regius Professor of Civil Law at the University of Oxford from 1919 until 1948. Biography The son of Pedro Juan de Zulueta, Count of ...

, Philip de Zulueta was educated at

Beaumont College Beaumont College was between 1861 and 1967 a public school in Old Windsor in Berkshire. Founded and run by the Society of Jesus, it offered a Roman Catholic public school education in rural surroundings, while lying, like the neighbouring Eton ...

and

New College, Oxford New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as its feeder school, New College is one of the oldest colleges at th ...

, where his studies were interrupted by

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

in which he served in the

Welsh Guards The Welsh Guards (WG; cy, Gwarchodlu Cymreig), part of the Guards Division, is one of the Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. It was founded in 1915 as a single-battalion regiment, during the First World War, by Royal Warrant of George V ...

. He entered the

Diplomatic Service Diplomatic service is the body of diplomats and foreign policy officers maintained by the government of a country to communicate with the governments of other countries. Diplomatic personnel obtains diplomatic immunity when they are accredited to ...

in 1949 and served in Moscow 1950–52 as private secretary to the Ambassador, Sir David Kelly. In 1955 de Zulueta was appointed to be a private secretary to the

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

Anthony Eden Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon, (12 June 1897 – 14 January 1977) was a British Conservative Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1955 until his resignation in 1957. Achieving rapid promo ...

(normally one private secretary is seconded from the

Foreign Office Foreign may refer to: Government * Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries ** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government ** Foreign office and foreign minister * Unit ...

; this time there were two, de Zulueta and

Guy Millard Sir Guy Elwin Millard (22 January 1917 – 26 April 2013) was a British diplomat who was closely involved in the Suez crisis, and afterwards ambassador to Hungary, Sweden and Italy. Career Guy Elwin Millard was educated at Wixenford, Charterho ...

). He continued in this role under

Harold Macmillan Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, (10 February 1894 – 29 December 1986) was a British Conservative statesman and politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1957 to 1963. Caricatured as "Supermac", he ...

and

Sir Alec Douglas-Home Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, Baron Home of the Hirsel (; 2 July 1903 – 9 October 1995), styled as Lord Dunglass between 1918 and 1951 and being The 14th Earl of Home from 1951 till 1963, was a British Conservative Party (UK), Conse ...

. He was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

in 1963 in Macmillan's

resignation honours The Prime Minister's Resignation Honours in the United Kingdom are Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, honours granted at the behest of an outgoing Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, prime minister following their resignation ...

. De Zulueta resigned from the Foreign Service in 1964 and became a merchant banker. He was a director of

Hill Samuel Hill Samuel is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lloyds Banking Group's Offshore Private Banking unit. It was formerly a leading British merchant bank and financial services firm before the takeover by TSB Group Plc. in 1987, which itself merged with ...

1965–72 and its chief executive 1973–76. He was chairman of Antony Gibbs Holdings 1976–81. De Zulueta was a member of the Franco-British Council from 1972 and chairman of its British section from 1981. After his death the French Ambassador wrote to ''The Times'' about de Zulueta: :"He was a clear thinking, determined, optimistic and committed friend to whose memory I should like to pay tribute and express my deep gratitude, both in my own name and even more in that of my country."Sir Philip de Zulueta
''The Times'', London, 27 April 1989, page 18

Personal life

De Zulueta married the Hon. Marie Louise Hennessy, daughter of Lord Windlesham on 14 September 1955. They had two children being Francis de Zulueta and Louise Seligman.

References

Max Egremont John Max Henry Scawen Wyndham, 7th Baron Leconfield, 2nd Baron Egremont FRSL DL (born 21 April 1948), generally known as Max Egremont, is a British biographer and novelist. Egremont is the eldest son of John Edward Reginald Wyndham, 6th Baron ...

Zulueta, Sir Philip Francis de (1925–1989)
rev. ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2011
ZULUETA, Sir Philip Francis de
''Who Was Who'', A & C Black, 1920–2007; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012 ; online edn, Nov 2012
Sir Philip De Zulueta: Careers in Downing Street and the City
(obituary), ''The Times'', London, 17 April 1989, page 18

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Zulueta, Philip Francis de 1925 births 1989 deaths Alumni of New College, Oxford Welsh Guards officers British Army personnel of World War II Members of HM Diplomatic Service British people of Basque descent English people of Spanish descent Knights Bachelor Officiers of the Légion d'honneur British expatriates in the Soviet Union British bankers British Roman Catholics