Richard Morris
FRSA
British Ambassador to Nepal
In office
2015–2019
MonarchElizabeth II
Prime Minister
Preceded byJohn Rankin
Succeeded byNicola Pollitt
Personal details
Born(1967-11-01)1 November 1967
Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire, England
Diedc. 6 May 2020(2020-05-06) (aged 52)
Hampshire, England
Cause of deathSuicide
Spouse
Alison Waring
​
(m. 1992)​
Children3
EducationDroitwich Spa High School
Alma mater

Richard Charles Morris FRSA (1 November 1967 – c. 6 May 2020) was a British diplomat who served as British Ambassador to Nepal from 2015 to 2019. He was reported missing after going for a run in Hampshire in May 2020, and his body was identified four months later. An inquest heard he had been "extremely stressed" before his death. An inquiry into his death found he had died of suicide.

Early and personal life

Morris was born on 1 November 1967 in Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire, to John and Kathleen Morris.[1] He had a younger sister and attended Droitwich Spa High School.

Morris was born with a port-wine stain birthmark on the left hand side of his face. He underwent laser surgery in an attempt to remove his birthmark as a young teenager, but the procedure was eventually halted. He became an ambassador for the charity Changing Faces, which helps people who live with visible facial differences.[2]

Morris studied at Aberystwyth University, which included a one-year scholarship at the University of Illinois in the United States, receiving a BA Hons degree in English literature. He then studied at Aston University, where he earned an MBA degree and underwent contract work for the management consultancy Touche Ross.

Morris married his wife Alison Waring in 1992 and together had three children, one daughter and two sons. His hobbies included long-distance running,[1][3] and he completed a marathon on Mount Everest in 2019.[4]

Career

Morris entered the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) through an open competition in 1990.

Morris served as the British consul-general in Sydney, and held roles in New York, Mexico City, Bridgetown and Ottawa. He was head of the Pacific department at the FCO from 2013 to 2015.

In October 2015 he was announced as the next British Ambassador to Nepal, to succeed John Rankin in November. He served in this role until 2019, during which time he hosted Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, on a tour in 2016.[5] He was due to become the next British High Commissioner to Fiji in July 2020.

Death

Morris was reported missing on 6 May 2020 after leaving his house in Bentley, Hampshire, for a run and not returning home.[6] That day, an appeal for information was issued by Hampshire Constabulary.[7]

Police dogs and drones deploted were used to search Alice Holt Forest, where Morris was known to enjoy running. CCTV footage was examined and door-to-door inquiries were carried out. The search was scaled back on 3 June after more than 9 square kilometres (3.5 sq mi) had been searched. Chief Inspector Alex Reading said that he wanted to "reassure the community that there is no evidence of foul play".[8]

On 31 August, a body was found in Alice Holt Forest[9] by a member of the public,[10] and was identified as Morris's by Hampshire Constabulary on 16 September.[11][12] His cause of death was undetermined after an initial autopsy.[10] An inquest heard that Morris had been "extremely stressed" while working on the case of Harry Dunn and as a member of a government task force addressing the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.[13] His wife stated that he had been working 15-hour days and on weekends, and suffered from frequent night sweats.[14]

An inquiry into his death found he had died of suicide.[15]

References

  1. 1 2 "Morris, Richard Charles". Who's Who & Who Was Who. 1 December 2020. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U250718. ISBN 978-0-19-954089-1. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  2. ↑ Shute, Joe (11 December 2018). "Our man in Nepal on being the face of Britain with a visible difference". The Telegraph. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  3. ↑ "Richard Morris". GOV.UK. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  4. ↑ Johnson, Jamie (11 May 2020). "British diplomat missing after going for a run and not returning home, as police launch search". The Telegraph. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  5. ↑ "Police search for British diplomat missing after going for run". The Guardian. 11 May 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  6. ↑ "Richard Morris: Search for missing British diplomat". BBC News. 11 May 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  7. ↑ Haynes, Deborah (11 May 2020). "Richard Morris: Top British diplomat missing after going for a run as Foreign Office 'extremely worried'". Sky News. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  8. ↑ "Richard Morris: Missing diplomat search in Hampshire scaled back". BBC News. 3 June 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  9. ↑ "Richard Morris: Body found in search for missing diplomat". BBC News. 31 August 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  10. 1 2 "Richard Morris: Cause of diplomat's death 'not yet known'". BBC News. 23 September 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  11. ↑ "Richard Morris: Diplomat's family "devastated" by loss". BBC News. 16 September 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  12. ↑ "Tribute paid to Richard Morris as police confirm identity of body found in Alice Holt Forest". Hampshire Constabulary. 16 September 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  13. ↑ Hardy, Jack (14 February 2021). "Diplomat found dead in forest was 'extremely stressed' by work on high profile crises". The Telegraph. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  14. ↑ Morris, Steven (14 February 2021). "UK diplomat found dead in woods was under 'extreme stress', inquest told". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  15. ↑ "Richard Morris: Covid diplomat took his own life, inquest finds". BBC News. 15 February 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
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