{{Short description|British diplomat (1898–1983)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Sir Charles Empson | office1 = British Ambassador to Chile | predecessor1 = Charles Stirling | successor1 = Ivor Pink | term_start1 = 1955 | term_end1 = 1958 | birth_date = 24 April 1898 | death_date = 17 August 1983 (aged 85) | children = 2 | alma_mater = Magdalene College, Cambridge | occupation = Diplomat | honorific_suffix = KCMG | death_place = Ickham, Kent }}

'''Sir Charles Empson''' (24 April 1898 – 17 August 1983) was a British diplomat who served as ambassador to Chile from 1955 to 1958.

== Early life and education ==

Empson was born on 24 April 1898, the son of Arthur Reginald Empson of Yokefleet, Yorkshire. He was educated at Harrow School and Magdalene College, Cambridge.<ref name=":0">{{Citation |title=Empson, Sir Charles, (24 April 1898–17 Aug. 1983), Foreign Service, retired |date=2007-12-01 |work=Who Was Who |url=https://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540891.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-163917 |access-date=2025-11-12 |publisher=Oxford University Press |doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u163917|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

== Career ==

Empson served during World War I with the Royal Field Artillery in Mesopotamia from 1917 to 1919.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=30274 |date=7 September 1917 |page=9331 |supp=y }}</ref> In 1920, he joined the British legation in Baghdad led by the High Commissioner and served there as consul from 1924 to 1932<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=33081 |date=4 September 1925 |page=5830 }}</ref> and commercial secretary from 1932 to 1934.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=3 October 1983 |title=Sir Charles Empson |work=The Times |pages=14}}</ref>

From 1934 to 1938, he was commercial agent for Palestine<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=34068 |date=10 July 1934 |page=4451}}</ref> and from 1938 to 1939, commercial secretary at Rome.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=34500 |date=8 April 1938 |page=2323 }}</ref> He then served as commercial counsellor at Cairo from 1939 to 1946<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=34609 |date=21 March 1939 |page=1927 }}</ref> and minister (economic) and special commissioner in South-East Asia from 1946 to 1947. In 1947, he returned to Rome serving as minister (commercial) until 1950 before he was transferred to Washington serving as minister (commercial) until 1955. In 1955, he was appointed ambassador to Chile,<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=40438/ |date=25 March 1955 |page=1780 |supp=y }}</ref> a post he held until his retirement in 1958.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite news |date=20 August 1983 |title=Obituary |work=The Times |pages=8}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Colin Mackie |url=http://archive.org/details/directorybritishdiplomats-mackie-pt1 |title=A Directory of British Diplomats [2013] |date=2013 |pages=160}}</ref>

== Personal life and death ==

Empson married Monica Tomlin in 1931 and they had a son and a daughter.<ref name=":0" />

Empson died on 17 August 1983 at Ickham, Kent, aged 85.<ref name=":2" />

== Honours ==

Empson was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 1943 Birthday Honours,<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=36033 |date=2 June 1943 |page=2421 |supp=y }}</ref> and promoted to Knight Commander (KCMG) in the 1956 New Year Honours.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=40669 |date=2 January 1956 |page=5 |supp=y }}</ref>

== See also ==

* Chile–United Kingdom relations

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == * {{NPG name|131989|Sir Charles Empson}}

{{s-start}} {{s-dip}} {{s-bef |before=Charles Stirling}} {{s-ttl |title =British Ambassador to Chile|years=1955–1958}} {{s-aft |after =Ivor Pink}} {{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Empson, Charles}}

Category:1898 births Category:1983 deaths Category:People educated at Harrow School Category:Alumni of Magdalene College, Cambridge Category:20th-century British diplomats Category:Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Category:Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Category:Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Chile