Dame Stella Rimington, first female director general of MI5, dies aged 90

Dame Stella Rimington, the first female director general of MI5, has died aged 90, her family announced.

Dubbed the “housewife superspy” when she came into the role, she is widely credited as the model for Dame Judi Dench’s M in the James Bond films.

She was born on May 13 1935 in South Norwood and died on Sunday night.

In a statement, her family said: “She died surrounded by her beloved family and dogs and determinedly held on to the life she loved until her last breath.”

She joined MI5 full time in 1969, having been recruited as a part-time clerk typist by its office in New Delhi’s British High Commission after she accompanied her husband on a diplomatic posting there four years earlier.

She became director of each of the service’s operational branches before she was appointed to deputy director general in 1991 and then director general a year later.

During her tenure in the top job, between 1992 and 1996, there were threats from the IRA and Russia, while the Islamist terror threat was also emerging.

She was the first to be publicly identified when appointed and when a newspaper published a photo of her house, she and her family had to move to a covert location for their own protection.

After leaving MI5 in 1996, Dame Stella began a career as a novelist.

Published: 04/08/2025 by Radio NewsHub