Photo: Government of the United Kingdom / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Barbara Woodward is a diplomat, born on May 29, 1961 in Gipping, United Kingdom. That puts Barbara Woodward at 65 years old in 2026. Education on record includes University of St Andrews. Listed accolades include Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (2016), Officer of the Order of the British Empire (1999) and Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (2011).
My Take
What draws me to Barbara Woodward is the quiet weight of a career built on the hardest assignment in modern diplomacy. As the first woman to serve as British Ambassador to China, and later her country's voice at the United Nations, she operated where patience matters more than headlines. I admire diplomats like her precisely because their wins are rarely visible. The honors she collected, from an OBE to a damehood, hint at decades of steady, unglamorous trust-building. In an era that rewards noise, I find her brand of disciplined, China-focused statecraft genuinely worth remembering and respecting.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Barbara Woodward
- Name (Japanese)
- バーバラ・ウッドワード
- Reading
- ばーばら・うっどわーど
- Born
- May 29, 1961 (age 65)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Gemini / Ox
- Origin
- Gipping, United Kingdom
- Occupation
- diplomat
2. Background
- University
- University of St Andrews
Awards & achievements
- 2016 Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
- 1999 Officer of the Order of the British Empire
- 2011 Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
3. Links
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-23
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Barbara Woodward born?
Born May 29, 1961 (age 65).
Where is Barbara Woodward from?
Barbara Woodward is from Gipping, United Kingdom.
What does Barbara Woodward do?
Barbara Woodward works as diplomat.
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