New principal at St Mary's University College

Francis Campbell

Francis Campbell, who was the first Catholic since the Reformation to serve as ambassador to the Holy See, from 2005 to 2011, is to take on a new role after Christmas, as Principal of St Mary's University College, Twickenham. Born in Newry, County Down, Mr Campbell received a BA in Political Science and Scholastic Philosophy from Queen’s University, Belfast and underwent further postgraduate studies at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, and the University of Pennsylvania, USA.

He joined the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in 1997. His early career focused on Europe with postings to the European Enlargement Unit of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and secondment to the European Commission, as part of its Delegation to the United Nations in New York. From 1999-2003 he worked at 10 Downing Street, appointed first as Policy Adviser, and then Private Secretary to Prime Minister Tony Blair.

One of the highlights of his diplomatic career was when he accompanied Pope Benedict on his UK visit in 2010 - during which there were two huge events on the St Mary's campus - the meeting with Religious and the gathering of school children.