Stella Rimington, the first spy leader in Great Britain, died at 90

Stella Rimington, the first female head of the British agency of the MI5 Intelligence and later a successful Thriller writer, died, announced her family on Monday. She was 90 years old.

The first woman to direct a British intelligence agency, Rimmington was the inspiration for the representation of Judi Dench of the spy chief M in Seven James Bond Films.

Her family said in a statement that Rimmington died on Sunday “surrounded by her family and beloved dogs and resolutely held the life she loved to her last breath.”

The current director general of MI5, Ken McCallum, said that “as the first leader of any intelligence agency in the world, Lady Stella broke out by long -standing obstacles and was a visible example of the importance of diversity in leadership.”

A climb in the ranks

Born in London in 1935, Rimmington studied English at the University of Edinburgh and then worked as an archivist. She lived in India with her diplomatic husband in the mid -1960s when she was recruited by the MI5, the British domestic security service, as part -time and dactylographer in her New Delhi office.

She joined the full -time agency after returning to London in 1969 and increased in the ranks, overcoming the rules that maintained the most prestigious roles – such as recruitment and racing agents – for men only.

She worked in each of the MI5 operational branches-counterattack, counter-terrorism and counter-subversion-at a time when MI5 work included sniffing Soviet spies, infiltrating militant groups from Northern Ireland and, controversial, spying of leftists, leaders of the union and other alleged subversive.

Rimington admitted in 2001 that the organization “could have been a little too enthusiastic” in some of its domestic targets during the Cold War.

Rimington was appointed director general of the MI5 in 1992, the first head of the organization to be appointed in public, and its mandate saw the secret organization become slightly more open.

Liaison inspiration, Ladyhood and Fictional Writing

Dench’s first appearance as M, a role formerly played by men was in Goldeneye In 1995. The film producers said the casting was inspired by the appointment of Rimington.

After having resigned in 1996, Rimington was made a lady, the female equivalent of a knight, by Queen Elizabeth II.

Rimington then published a dissertation, Open secret – Government dissatisfaction – and a series of spy thrillers featuring the fictitious officer of the MI5 Liz Carlyle.

The good Devil’s good dealPublished in 2022, presented a new heroine, the CIA officer, Manon Tyler.

Open the way to others

Other women followed Rimington’s appointment to the best intelligence jobs.

Eliza Manningham-Buller directed MI5 between 2002 and 2007. Anne Keast-Butler became head of the GCHQ electronic and cyber-intelligence agency in 2023. Blaise Mereweli was appointed in June as the first female head of the intelligence agency abroad, MI6.

Rimington and her husband, John Rimington, separated in the 1980s, but returned together during the locking of Covid-19 in 2020.

“It’s a good recipe for marriage, I would say,” she said. “Divide, live separately and come back later.”

She is survived by her husband, two daughters and five grandchildren.