THE first female MI5 director general and inspiration behind Judi Dench’s ‘M’ has sadly died aged 90.
Dame Stella Rimington died “surrounded by her beloved family and dogs and determinedly held on to the life she loved until her last breath”, her family announced.
Times Newspapers LtdDame Stella Rimington has sadly died aged 89[/caption]
She became inspiration behind ‘M’, head of the MI6, in the Bond moviesRex Features
PA:Press AssociationIn 2001, the former MI5 director general sparked controversy with her memoir[/caption]
In a statement, her family said: “She died surrounded by her beloved family and dogs and determinedly held on to the life she loved until her last breath.”
The 89-year-old was appointed director general of MI5 in 1992, and the first woman to ever hold the position.
During her tenure in the top job, there were threats from the IRA and Russia, while the Islamist terror threat was also emerging.
She became inspiration behind ‘M’, head of the MI6, in the Bond movies.
One of Judi Dench’s outfits was even modelled on a Jaeger suit Dame Stella been pictured in.
After her retirement in 1996, she became a non-executive director of Marks & Spencer and the BG Group.
Dame Stella previously told the Telegraph how she became a spy.
“In 1965 my then-husband John, a treasury official, was offered a posting to the British High Commission in New Delhi,” she said.
“In the summer of 1967, I was walking through the compound there when someone tapped me on the shoulder and said, ‘Psst… Do you want to be a spy?’
“It transpired this man was MI5’s liaison officer in New Delhi and he offered me a job as a clerical assistant on £5 a week.”
She said her role mainly consisted of typing out his reports.
And, Dame Stella said she realised very quickly how women were discriminated against.
They were recruited as “assistant officers” while men were “officers”.
After working three years in counter-espionage, where one of her roled was identifying the Cambridge spy ring’s Fifth Man, John Cairncross, Dame Stella said she “started to resent” the gender-inequality.
She questioned her personnel officer on why she could not be promoted to officer.
In 1983 the savvy MI5 worker was given the position and a significant pay raise.
But, it wasn’t until the 1990s women were permitted to recruit agents and run operations.
Dame Stella was appointed director of counter-espionage in 1986 and promoted to director general in 1992.
She earned £95,000 per annum, around £250,000 today.
“I realised it would be a sensation – and it was,” she explained.
The MI5 director general was dubbed “Housewife Superspy”, and continued to make headlines throughout her career.
However, media attention later saw her forced to move house after a picture of her property was published.
Dame Stella retired from the role after four years and went on to become a part-time non-executive director at M&S and the BG Group.
She has also written more than a dozen thriller books based on her Secret Service experience.
Her autobiography, Open Secret, sparked controversy in 2001.
A manuscript was leaked to The Sun, who decided not to publish extracts in the interests of national security.
Dame Stella’s decision to publish any memoirs had been a cause for concern in Parliament at the time.
The then Foreign Secretary Robin Cook urged the former head of MI5 not to go ahead with the book.
The Conservatives also tried to block publication over fears it could jeopardise the safety of secret service officers.
Dame Stella was born on May 13 1935 in South Norwood, in south London, and leaves behind two daughters.
She was appointed the ground-breaking role in 1992PA:Press Association
AF ArchiveOne of Judi Dench’s outfits was even modelled on a Jaeger suit Dame Stella been pictured in[/caption]
EPADame Stella has also written more than a dozen thriller books based on her Secret Service experience[/caption]
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