Michael Pakenham Michael Pakenham Sir Michael Aidan Pakenham, (born 3 November 1943) is a British retired diplomat. Pakenham is the third son of Labour politician Frank Pakenham, 7th Earl of Longford, and Elizabeth Harman. He is the brother of Thomas Pakenham, Lady Antonia Fraser and Lady Rachel Billington. He was educated at Ampleforth College and Trinity College, Cambridge, and was an exchange fellow at Rice University. Pakenham was briefly a reporter for the "Washington Post" before joining the Foreign Office in 1965. He served in Nairobi and Warsaw before being seconded to the Cabinet Office 1971–74 as Assistant Private Secretary, then Private
Michael Pakenham Office again as Deputy Secretary for Defence and Overseas Affairs 1997–99, then Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee 1997–2000 (also Intelligence Co-ordinator 1999–2000). Finally he was posted to Warsaw as Ambassador to Poland 2001–03. Pakenham was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 1993 and a Knight Conmmander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KBE) in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2003. He was made a Freeman of the City of London in 1992. Since retiring from the Diplomatic Service, Pakenham has been chairman of Pakenvest International; senior adviser to