Britain | Front of the Q

MI6’s new “C” used to be “Q”. And she’s good with the gadgets

Blaise Metreweli is the first female head of Britain’s spy service, too

photomontage of the MI6 headquarters and the portrait of Blaise Metreweli, the new chief of MI6.
Illustration: The Economist/Getty/AP

IN 1994 Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, more commonly known as MI6, appointed a new chief. David Spedding was only the second chief to be named in public. Until that year the service did not officially exist. His predecessor, Sir Colin McColl, had refused to be photographed at a press conference. “Secrecy”, he explained, “is our stock-in-trade.”

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