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12 Facts About Nicholas Henderson

1.

Nicholas Henderson was educated at Stowe School and Hertford College, Oxford, and was the President of the Oxford Union.

2.

Nicholas Henderson joined the British Diplomatic Service in 1946 and rose to become Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary in 1963.

3.

Nicholas Henderson had first asked Edward Heath to take up the post, but he had refused the offer.

4.

Nicholas Henderson was enormously popular in Washington, and he and his wife Mary formed a close personal friendship with President Ronald Reagan at a crucial time in the latter's presidency, oiling the special friendship which developed between Reagan and Margaret Thatcher.

5.

In retirement, Nicholas Henderson wrote several books on history, and an account of his career as a diplomat, Mandarin.

6.

Nicholas Henderson held directorships of several major British companies, including the Channel Tunnel Group, Sotheby's, and Hambros.

7.

Nicholas Henderson had close ties with the Prince of Wales, serving as Lord Warden of the Stannaries and Chairman of the Prince's Council after retiring from the Diplomatic Service.

8.

Nicholas Henderson was appointed KCVO for this service to the Crown.

9.

Nicholas Henderson gave the Romanes Lecture in Oxford in 1986.

10.

In 1951, Nicholas Henderson married Mary Barber, a Greek-born former war correspondent for Time-Life.

11.

Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond series, was a friend of Nicholas Henderson, and gave his name to the character "Dikko" Nicholas Henderson in his final completed Bond novel, You Only Live Twice.

12.

Nicholas Henderson was portrayed by Jeremy Clyde in the 2002 BBC production of Ian Curteis's controversial The Falklands Play.