{{Short description|British career diplomat}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Dame Veronica Sutherland | honorific_suffix = DBE CMG | birth_name = Veronica Evelyn Beckett | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1939|04|25}} | birth_place = | occupation = | title = | boards = <!-- Board or similar positions extraneous to main occupation --> | known_for = | spouse = | children = | era = | education = | alma_mater = | thesis_url = | thesis_year = | school_tradition = | doctoral_advisor = | doctoral_students = | main_interests = | notable_works = | notable_ideas = | office = President of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge | term_start = 2001 | term_end = 2008 | successor = Janet Todd OBE | predecessor = Pauline Perry, Baroness Perry of Southwark }}

'''Dame Veronica Evelyn Sutherland''', DBE, CMG (née '''Beckett'''; born 25 April 1939) is a former British career diplomat who served in the Diplomatic Service of the United Kingdom from 1965 until 1999, including a stint as Ambassador to Ireland. After retirement, she was appointed President of the Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge from 2001 until 2008.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/current/special/03/16.html |date=2 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091020090800/http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/current/special/03/16.html |title=Cambridge University Reporter |archive-date=20 October 2009 |publisher=University of Cambridge }}</ref>

==Background== Born to Lt Col Maurice Beckett and Constance Cavenagh-Mainwaring, Sutherland spent more than thirty years in the Diplomatic Service in mainland Europe, Africa and Asia, serving as Ambassador in three countries in francophone West Africa as well as British delegate to UNESCO.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.irish-association.org/archives/veronica_sutherland04_04.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070708120927/http://www.irish-association.org/archives/veronica_sutherland04_04.html |title=Dame Veronica Sutherland former British Ambassador and current Principal of Lucy Cavendish College Cambridge - REFLECTIONS ON THE PEACE PROCESS AND ITS PARTICIPANTS |archive-date=8 July 2007 |url-status=usurped |publisher=The Irish Association }}</ref>

After Sutherland's service in Ireland, she was appointed Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General with responsibility for economic and social affairs. She was the first woman to hold such a high ranking Commonwealth post. She took up her Commonwealth post in February 1999, succeeding Sir Humphrey Maud, KCMG, who was retiring.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thecommonwealth.org/press/34582/140830/first_woman_commonwealth_deputy_secretary_general.htm |date=8 October 1998 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927021512/http://www.thecommonwealth.org/press/34582/140830/first_woman_commonwealth_deputy_secretary_general.htm |title=First woman Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Appointed |archive-date=27 September 2007 |publisher=Commonwealth Secretariat }}</ref>

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She was appointed CMG in the 1988 Birthday Honours<ref>{{London Gazette|date=10 June 1988|page=4|issue=51365|supp=y}}</ref> and DBE in the 1998 Birthday Honours.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=55155|supp=y|page=24|date=15 June 1998}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}} <!--*{{cite web |url=http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Andes/9522/latest.htm |title=Mystery of Aer Lingus Flight 712 |website=Webcitation.org |access-date=3 April 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091023141645/http://geocities.com/RainForest/Andes/9522/latest.htm |archive-date=23 October 2009 |df=dmy-all }}-->

{{s-start}} {{s-dip}} {{succession box | title = British Ambassador to Ivory Coast | years = 1987&ndash;1990 | before = John Willson | after = Margaret Rothwell }} {{succession box | title = British Ambassador to Ireland | years = 1995&ndash;1999 | before = Sir David Blatherwick | after = Sir Ivor Roberts }} {{s-aca}} {{s-bef|before = Pauline Perry, Baroness Perry of Southwark}} {{s-ttl|title = President of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge|years = 2001–2008}} {{s-aft|after = Janet Todd OBE}} {{s-end}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sutherland, Veronica}} Category:1939 births Category:Women academic administrators Category:Women ambassadors of the United Kingdom Category:Commonwealth deputy secretaries-general Category:Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Category:Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Category:Living people Category:Presidents of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge Category:Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Ireland Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:People educated at the Royal School for Daughters of Officers of the Army

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