LEICESTER-BORN diplomat Tammy Sandhu MBE has become the UK's new ambassador to the Holy See after presenting her credentials to Pope Leo XIV, becoming the first woman from an ethnic minority background to hold the post, a statement said on Monday (31).
Sandhu, who was born and raised in Leicester and continues to live in the city, said she was proud to represent the country and wished her parents could have seen her take up the role.
“I was immensely proud to meet Pope Leo XIV and formally accept my appointment as British Ambassador to the Holy See,” Sandhu said after receiving her accreditation.
“Our diplomatic engagement with the Vatican amplifies Britain’s global influence and advances our work, often in parts of the world where local faith communities have the greatest impact.
“I only wish my parents were able to see where I am today: representing the UK abroad as a proud British Asian.”
Sandhu has been part of the diplomatic service for two decades, with previous postings in Rabat, Brussels, San Francisco and Chennai.
Tammy Sandhu takes up historic Vatican ambassador role Photo: Vatican Media
Her appointment also marks a significant moment for her family. Her parents came to the UK from Punjab in India in the 1960s. They worked on market stalls before establishing a family business selling household goods and manufacturing curtains and bedding.
As ambassador to the Holy See, Sandhu will work with the Vatican and faith organisations on issues that are part of Britain’s foreign policy priorities.
These include peacebuilding, climate action, the governance of artificial intelligence, and efforts to tackle modern slavery, human trafficking and violence against women and girls.
The Asian diplomat’s appointment comes as women and people from ethnic minority backgrounds account for a growing share of Britain's diplomatic leadership overseas.
More than a third of British heads of mission overseas are women, while 14 per cent are from ethnic minority backgrounds, according to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
In a statement, the FCDO said it remains committed to building a workforce that reflects the diversity and talent of the British population.
Although the Vatican is the world's smallest sovereign state, the Holy See has diplomatic relations with countries around the world, and the Catholic Church has about 1.4 billion followers.
