Stephen Lillie

{{Short description|British ambassador}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Use British English|date=April 2018}} '''Stephen Lillie''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CMG}} (born 4 February 1966)<ref name="whoswho">{{cite journal |title=Lillie, Stephen |journal=Who's Who 2018 |publisher=Oxford University Press |doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.245824 }}</ref> is a British diplomat who was High Commissioner to Cyprus from 2018 to 2022.

==Career== Lillie was educated at South Wolds Comprehensive School and The Queen's College, Oxford. He joined HM Diplomatic Service in 1988 and was sent for Chinese language training at the School of Oriental and African Studies and the Chinese University of Hong Kong 1989–91. He served in Beijing 1992–96, at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) 1996–99, at Guangzhou as Consul-General 1999–2003, and in New Delhi 2003–06. He was head of the Far Eastern Department at the FCO 2006–09, then ambassador to the Philippines and also non-resident ambassador to Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau 2009–13. He was Director, Asia Pacific, at the FCO 2013–17 and was then appointed to be High Commissioner to the Republic of Cyprus from April 2018.<ref name="whoswho"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/change-of-british-high-commissioner-to-cyprus--2 |title=Change of British High Commissioner to Cyprus |publisher=Foreign & Commonwealth Office |date=13 July 2017 |access-date=16 April 2018 |archive-date=17 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417105901/https://www.gov.uk/government/news/change-of-british-high-commissioner-to-cyprus--2 |url-status=live }}</ref> In May 2026, the former head of MI6, Richard Dearlove, called for a probe of Lillie's past discussions with Grandview Institution, a think tank with links to China's Ministry of State Security, citing national security concerns.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Williams |first=Eric |date=21 May 2026 |title=Top civil servant must be probed over China links, says former MI6 boss |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/05/21/probe-top-civil-servant-china-spy-links-nuclear-deterrent/ |access-date=23 May 2026 |work=The Daily Telegraph}}</ref>

==Honours== *{{flag|Philippines}}: Grand Cross of the Order of Sikatuna, Rank of Datu (2 July 2013).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/the-order-of-sikatuna/|title=The Order of Sikatuna|work=Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines|access-date=16 April 2018|archive-date=7 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170607220908/http://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/the-order-of-sikatuna/|url-status=live}}</ref> *{{flag|United Kingdom}}: Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) (2017 Birthday Honours).<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=61962|supp=y|page=B4|date=17 June 2017}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{s-start}} {{s-dip}} {{s-bef|before=Ian Wellfare}} {{s-ttl|title=British Consul-General in Guangzhou |years=1999–2003}} {{s-aft|after=Christopher Wood}} {{s-bef|before=Peter Beckingham}} {{s-ttl|title=British Ambassador to the Philippines, Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau |years=2009–2013}} {{s-aft|after=Asif Ahmad}} {{s-bef|before=Matthew Kidd}} {{s-ttl|title=British High Commissioner to Cyprus |years=2018–2022}} {{s-aft|after=Irfan Siddiq}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lille, Stephen}} Category:Living people Category:1966 births Category:Alumni of the Queen's College, Oxford Category:Consuls-general for the United Kingdom in Guangzhou Category:Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to the Philippines Category:Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Palau Category:High commissioners of the United Kingdom to Cyprus Category:Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George