Michael Shea (diplomat)
Encyclopedia
Michael Sinclair MacAuslan Shea (born 10 May 1938, Carluke
, Lanarkshire
, Scotland
– 17 October 2009) was press secretary to Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
from 1978 to 1987. Earlier he had been a career diplomat and was also an author.
Shea attended Lenzie Academy
, where his mother was a teacher before attending Gordonstoun
. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh
, having read Economics; he also completed his doctorate at Edinburghmic development in West Africa. He entered the Foreign Service in 1963 and served in Ghana, West Germany, Romania and New York. After helping arrange the Queen's official visit in 1976, Shea became her press secretary two years later.
He was the centre of a "mole hunt" in 1986 for the person who gave a briefing to a journalist on Sunday Times
in which it was said the social policies being followed by the Thatcher
government were causing the Queen "dismay", and Mrs. Thatcher's negative attitude to the Commonwealth of Nations
caused displeasure. Members of Parliament called for Shea's resignation if he was responsible. The Queen's Private Secretary Sir William Heseltine
responded to the controversy in a letter to The Times
confirming Shea as the contact, but asserting that Shea's comments had been misreported. Shea left royal service the following year, although he denied that there was any connection with the earlier controversy.
While First Secretary in Bonn
, then the capital of West Germany
, Shea began his career as a writer. A thriller, Sonntag, was published under the pseudonym
Michael Sinclair in 1971, the first of 20 books. After he resigned as the Queen's press secretary, Shea worked for six years at Hanson plc
as director of public relations. He can be heard in a private interview given to Brendan Bruce (former Conservative Party Director of Communications under Margaret Thatcher) for his book 'Images of Power' (Kogan Page 1992) in the British Library Sound Archive ( BL reference C1251/21 http://cadensa.bl.uk/uhtbin/cgisirsi/gR0fld7fWI/WORKS-FILE/11570052/123)
Michael Shea was married to Mona Grec Stensen, a native of Norway
; they married in 1968. The couple had two daughters. He was a Lieutenant of the Victorian Order
(LVO) from 1985 and Commander
(CVO) from 1987.
His last years were affected by the onset of dementia
. He died at age 71 in 2009.
Carluke
The town of Carluke lies in the heart of the Lanarkshire countryside in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, 5.4 miles northwest of Lanark and 4 miles southeast of Wishaw....
, Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
– 17 October 2009) was press secretary to Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
from 1978 to 1987. Earlier he had been a career diplomat and was also an author.
Shea attended Lenzie Academy
Lenzie Academy
Lenzie Academy is a co-educational comprehensive secondary school located in Lenzie, East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. The catchment area covers the town of Lenzie, the village of Auchinloch and southern parts of Kirkintilloch.-Senior Management Team:...
, where his mother was a teacher before attending Gordonstoun
Gordonstoun
Gordonstoun School is a co-educational independent school for boarding and day pupils in Moray in North East Scotland. Named after the estate originally owned by Sir Robert Gordon in the 1600s, the school now uses this estate as its campus...
. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
, having read Economics; he also completed his doctorate at Edinburghmic development in West Africa. He entered the Foreign Service in 1963 and served in Ghana, West Germany, Romania and New York. After helping arrange the Queen's official visit in 1976, Shea became her press secretary two years later.
He was the centre of a "mole hunt" in 1986 for the person who gave a briefing to a journalist on Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
in which it was said the social policies being followed by the Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
government were causing the Queen "dismay", and Mrs. Thatcher's negative attitude to the Commonwealth of Nations
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
caused displeasure. Members of Parliament called for Shea's resignation if he was responsible. The Queen's Private Secretary Sir William Heseltine
William Heseltine
Sir William Frederick Payne Heseltine, GCB, GCVO, AC, QSO was Private Secretary to Queen Elizabeth II from 1986 to 1990.He is the son of H. W. Heseltine, a primary school master in East Fremantle, Western Australia...
responded to the controversy in a letter to The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
confirming Shea as the contact, but asserting that Shea's comments had been misreported. Shea left royal service the following year, although he denied that there was any connection with the earlier controversy.
While First Secretary in Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
, then the capital of West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, Shea began his career as a writer. A thriller, Sonntag, was published under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Michael Sinclair in 1971, the first of 20 books. After he resigned as the Queen's press secretary, Shea worked for six years at Hanson plc
Hanson plc
Hanson plc is a British based international building materials company, headquartered in Maidenhead. Traded on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index for many years, the company was acquired by a division of German rival Heidelberg Cement in August 2007.-History:Hanson...
as director of public relations. He can be heard in a private interview given to Brendan Bruce (former Conservative Party Director of Communications under Margaret Thatcher) for his book 'Images of Power' (Kogan Page 1992) in the British Library Sound Archive ( BL reference C1251/21 http://cadensa.bl.uk/uhtbin/cgisirsi/gR0fld7fWI/WORKS-FILE/11570052/123)
Michael Shea was married to Mona Grec Stensen, a native of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
; they married in 1968. The couple had two daughters. He was a Lieutenant of the Victorian Order
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(LVO) from 1985 and Commander
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(CVO) from 1987.
His last years were affected by the onset of dementia
Dementia
Dementia is a serious loss of cognitive ability in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal aging...
. He died at age 71 in 2009.