Arrival 10.30pm, talk at 11am, brunch at 12pm.
Francis Cornish began his career with the Foreign Office in 1968. After early postings in London, Malaysia, and Indonesia, he returned to London in 1973 to head the Greek desk.
In 1976, he moved to Bonn to manage European Community affairs, before returning to London in 1980 as Assistant Private Secretary to the Prince of Wales. He assumed this role just months before Prince Charles announced his engagement to Lady Diana Spencer and left shortly after accompanying the couple on their first official visits to Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
Francis was appointed High Commissioner to Brunei in 1983, and three years later transferred to Washington, where he oversaw media relations and public diplomacy in both Washington and New York.
In 1990, he became spokesman for Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd, a position he held for three years before moving to Hong Kong to help prepare for the 1997 Handover. He subsequently became the first British Consul General in Hong Kong.
After serving as a Director at the Royal College of Defence Studies, Francis was appointed Ambassador to Israel in 1998, a post he held until his retirement from the Foreign Service in 2002.
Following his diplomatic career, Francis chaired South West Tourism from 2003 to 2009 and the Taunton Town Centre Company from 2002 to 2013. During this time, he and his wife, Jane, also managed a smallholding in Somerset.
Francis’s talk will focus on his experiences in the Middle East and explore why achieving lasting peace in the region remains so challenging.
The event is complimentary for those that stay for Brunch if not £10 will be charged to your account
Enquire About Membership To Attend This Event