Prince William and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have paid tribute to former MI6 intelligence chief Alex Younger following his death at the age of 62, UNN reports with reference to the AP.
Details
Younger headed the British foreign espionage agency, also known as the Secret Intelligence Service, from 2014 to 2020 and was one of the first individuals in this position – codenamed C – whose name was publicly announced. The British government stated that he had been diagnosed with cancer and died on Tuesday.
BBC commentator Nick Robinson, a friend of the former intelligence chief, said that after his diagnosis, Younger named his tumor "Putin" after the Russian president.
Prince William underwent an internship with the British intelligence and security services in 2019 to help the future king understand their work. On Thursday, he stated that Younger "embodied the best of what the Secret Intelligence Service stands for – integrity, courage, and an unwavering commitment to protecting this country and its people."
Starmer said Younger "will be remembered by many ministers, colleagues, friends, and family for his boundless dedication to British public life and the protection of our nation."
Blaize Metreweli, the current head of MI6, said Younger "embodied the values of my service: integrity, courage, creativity, and respect."
"He made a lasting and distinguished contribution to our country and, indeed, to global security," she said.
In addition
Younger was educated at the University of St Andrews in Scotland and served as a British Army officer before joining MI6 in 1991. He spent three decades in the intelligence service, including in the Western Balkans in the 1990s, where, he said, "he spent many nights drinking obscure home-made alcohol while gathering the intentions of the parties to that conflict."
"I had the satisfaction of knowing that my work, along with that of many others, helped pave the way for the eventual arrest and prosecution of war criminals involved in the murder or displacement of hundreds of thousands of people," he said in a 2018 speech at his former university.
He also worked for MI6 in Afghanistan in the years following 9/11 and was head of counter-terrorism, overseeing security during the 2012 London Olympics.
Last year, he told the BBC that the secret life of a spy had its ups and downs. He admitted it was "nice" to be "in this play that no one even knows about."
"But at the same time, it's incredibly isolating," he said.
He acknowledged that the incredible adventures of fictional superspy James Bond were a mixed blessing for MI6.
"He has created a powerful brand for MI6," Younger said in a 2016 speech.
But, he noted, "if Bond applied to join MI6 now, he would have to change his ways."