{{Short description|British diplomat and Serjeant-at-Arms}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Alan Bedford Urwick | term_end2 = 1989 | alma_mater = New College, Oxford University | term_end4 = 1984 | term_start4 = 1979 | successor4 = Sir John Coles | predecessor4 = John Moberly | monarch4 = Elizabeth II | office4 = British Ambassador to Jordan | monarch3 = Elizabeth II | successor3 = Sir James Adams | predecessor3 = Sir Michael Weir | term_end3 = 1987 | term_start3 = 1985 | office3 = British Ambassador to Egypt | term_start2 = 1987 | honorific_prefix = Sir | successor2 = Brian Fall | predecessor2 = Sir Derek Day | monarch2 = Elizabeth II | office2 = British High Commissioner to Canada | death_place = Slaugham, West Sussex | successor = Sir Peter Jennings | predecessor = Sir Victor Le Fanu | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2016|12|08|1930}} | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1930|05|02}} | monarch = Elizabeth II | term_end = 1995 | term_start = 1989 | office = Serjeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons | honorific_suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KCVO|CMG| KStJ}} | birth_place = London, United Kingdom }}
'''Sir Alan Bedford Urwick''' {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KCVO|CMG|KStJ}} (2 May 1930 – 8 December 2016<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|date=1 December 2017|title=Urwick, Sir Alan (Bedford)|url=https://doi.org/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U38393|access-date=29 March 2021|website=Who's Who|doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U38393 }}</ref>) was a British diplomat, who served as Serjeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons from 1989 to 1995.
== Early life == Alan Bedford Urwick was born on 2 May 1930, in London.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|date=13 March 2017|title=Sir Alan Urwick, diplomat and reforming Serjeant at Arms – obituary|work=The Daily Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2017/03/13/sir-alan-urwick-diplomat-reforming-serjeant-arms-obituary/|access-date=29 March 2021}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news|date=1 February 2017|title=Obituary: Sir Alan Urwick|work=The Times|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/article/sir-alan-urwick-95kbxs828|access-date=29 March 2021}}</ref> He was the younger of the two children, of Lt. Col. Lyndall Fownes Urwick {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|OBE|MC}} and Joan Wilhelmina Saunders (''née'' Bedford).<ref name=":2" />
Lyndall F. Urwick was one of the British pioneers of scientific management prior to the Second World War. In 1934, he set up his own management consultancy practice, Urwick, Orr & Partners.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|title=The Urwick Prize|url=https://www.wcomc.org/education/urwick|access-date=29 March 2021|website=Worshipful Company of Management Consultants}}</ref>
Alan Urwick was educated at Dragon School in Oxford, and then at Rugby School in Warwickshire.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.burkespeerage.com/FamilyHomepage.aspx?FID=13958 | title=Sir Alan Bedford Urwick | publisher=Burke's Peerage | accessdate=14 December 2012 }}</ref>
Alan Urwick graduated from New College, Oxford, obtaining a first in Modern History in 1952.<ref name=":0" />
== Career ==
=== MI6 ===
=== Foreign Office === Urwick joined the British diplomatic service in 1952 and undertook tours of duty in Western Europe, the Middle East, Moscow, and Washington, D.C.<ref name="hansard" /> He served as the United Kingdom's ambassador to Jordan (1979–1984) and to Egypt (1985–1987),<ref>{{cite web|title=Previous Ambassadors |url=http://ukinegypt.fco.gov.uk/en/our-offices-in-egypt/our-ambassador/previous-ambassadors |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090504234327/http://ukinegypt.fco.gov.uk/en/our-offices-in-egypt/our-ambassador/previous-ambassadors |publisher=UK in Egypt: The official website for the British Embassy in Egypt |archivedate=2009-05-04 |accessdate=2009-05-02 |url-status = dead}}</ref> and was the British High Commissioner in Canada (1987–1989).<ref>{{cite web|title=Previous High Commissioners |url=http://ukincanada.fco.gov.uk/en/our-offices-in-canada/our-high-commissioner/previous-high-commissioners |publisher=UK in Canada: The official website for the British High Commission in Canada |accessdate=2009-07-10 |url-status = dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091202022951/http://ukincanada.fco.gov.uk/en/our-offices-in-canada/our-high-commissioner/previous-high-commissioners |archivedate=2009-12-02 }}</ref> He left the diplomatic service in 1989.<ref>{{cite Hansard |house=House of Commons |title=Sir Alan Urwick |url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/1995-07-19/debates/84a86006-46f8-4473-a0fc-e02bad3e2412/SirAlanUrwick |date=19 July 1995 |volume=263 |column=1672 |speaker=Tony Newton |position=Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons }}</ref>
=== Serjeant-at-Arms === He then served as Serjeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons until his retirement in 1995.<ref name="hansard">{{cite web |title=Sir Alan Urwick |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1995/jul/19/sir-alan-urwick |date=19 July 1995 |work=Vol 263 cc1672-4 |publisher=Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) |access-date=2009-07-10}}</ref>
== Retirement and death == In retirement, Urwick served as the Chairman of the Anglo-Jordanian Society from 1997 to 2001.<ref name=":2" /> He arranged for a memorial service to be held at St. Paul's Cathedral following the death of King Hussein of Jordan in 1999.<ref name=":0" />
Urwick died on 8 December 2016, at the age of 86, at his home in Slaugham, West Sussex.<ref>{{Cite web|date=8 December 2016|title=URWICK - Deaths Announcements - Telegraph Announcements|url=https://announcements.telegraph.co.uk/deaths/209013/urwick|access-date=29 March 2021|website=The Daily Telegraph Announcements}}</ref>
A memorial service was held at St. Margaret's Church in Westminster Abbey on 19 October 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|date=19 October 2017|title=Court Circular {{!}} The Royal Family|url=https://www.royal.uk/court-circular?text=Urwick&mrf=&date%5Bmin%5D%5Bdate%5D=19%2F10%2F2017&date%5Bmax%5D%5Bdate%5D=19%2F10%2F2017&id=|access-date=29 March 2021|website=The Royal Household}}</ref>
== Personal life == Urwick married Marta Montagne, the daughter of the Peruvian ambassador to Lebanon, in 1960 in Beirut.<ref name=":1" /> They had three sons together, Christopher, Richard, and Michael.<ref name=":1" /> Urwick spoke fluent French, German, Russian, Spanish, Italian, and Arabic.<ref name=":1" /> Urwick was a member of the Garrick Club and an honorary member of the Worshipful Company of Management Consultants.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Further reading== *{{cite web |title=Sir Alan Bedford Urwick|url=http://www.burkes-peerage.net/familyhomepage.aspx?FID=0&FN=URWICKALAN|work=Burke's Peerage and Gentry |url-access=subscription |accessdate=2009-07-10}}
{{s-start}} {{s-dip}} {{s-bef|before=John Moberly}} {{s-ttl|title=British Ambassador to Jordan |years=1979–1984}} {{s-aft|after=Sir John Coles}} {{s-bef|before=Sir Michael Weir}} {{s-ttl|title=British Ambassador to Egypt |years=1985–1987}} {{s-aft|after=Sir James Adams}} {{s-bef|before=Sir Derek Day}} {{s-ttl|title=British High Commissioner to Canada |years=1987–1989}} {{s-aft|after=Brian Fall}} {{s-par|uk}} {{s-bef|before=Sir Victor Le Fanu}} {{s-ttl|title=Serjeant-at-Arms<br/>of the House of Commons |years=1989–1995}} {{s-aft|after=Sir Peter Jennings}} {{end}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Urwick, Alan Bedford}} Category:1930 births Category:2016 deaths Category:People educated at The Dragon School Category:People educated at Rugby School Category:Alumni of New College, Oxford Category:Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Jordan Category:Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Egypt Category:High commissioners of the United Kingdom to Canada Category:Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Category:Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Category:Serjeants at arms of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom Category:People from Slaugham
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