Caroline Wilson (diplomat)


Caroline Elizabeth Wilson is a British diplomat and lawyer who is expected to take up her appointment as British Ambassador to China in September 2020.

Early life and education

Wilson was born on 12 August 1970. She was educated at Sevenoaks School before attending Downing College, Cambridge, where she gained an MA in law. She was called to the Bar at Middle Temple in 1993, then gained a degree in European Community law at the Institute for European Studies of the Université Libre de Bruxelles.

Career

Wilson joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1995 and served in Beijing, Brussels and Moscow in various posts. She was the Consul-General to Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China and Non-Resident Consul General to Macau from 2012 to 2016. She became Europe Director at the FCO in 2016. She appeared in a 2018 BBC documentary titled Inside the Foreign Office, which saw her accompany then-Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson on diplomatic engagements in Europe.
In June 2020 she was appointed as British Ambassador to China, to succeed Dame Barbara Woodward in September 2020.

Personal life

Wilson speaks French and Mandarin fluently. Her Chinese name is Wu Ruolan.

Honours

Wilson was appointed CMG in the 2016 New Year Honours. She was called as a Bencher at Middle Temple in 2013. In 2018 she became an honorary fellow of Downing College, Cambridge.