Andrew Skeen (Rhodesia)

Born in India, Skeen was the son of General Sir Andrew Skeen. He was commissioned into the British Army in 1926,^[1] rising to the rank of Brigadier. He retired from the British Army in 1947 and moved to the self-governing colony of Southern Rhodesia and settled in Vumba in Umtali district.^[2] Skeen opposed the creation of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland in 1953, as he saw it as not in the best interests of the white community in Southern Rhodesia, and by 1962, Skeen had joined the Rhodesian Front party of Ian Smith.^[3]

Skeen served as the High Commissioner for Rhodesia in London from 22 July to 12 November 1965.^[4] His total tenure lasted 115 days.

On 11 November 1965, when Rhodesia announced its Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI), Skeen was summoned by the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations, Arthur Bottomley, for a meeting at 1.15pm where Bottomley ordered Skeen to denounce the UDI or face being declared persona non grata with the removal of all privileges and expulsion from 13 November.^[5] Skeen refused and departed London voluntarily the following day on 12 November 1965, although Rhodesia House (the High Commission) continued to function as a representative office with no official diplomatic status. Skeen's functions were assumed by chargé d'affaires Sydney Brice, who was officially regarded as "The Southern Rhodesian Representative" by the British Foreign Office.