Richard Sykes (diplomat)

Sir Richard Sykes (13 March 1920 – 10 March 1979) was a British diplomat. He served as the British Ambassador to the Netherlands from 1977 until his assassination in 1979 by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA).

Sykes joined the Foreign Office in 1947 and held various postings throughout his career, including positions in Moscow and the United Nations. He was known for his expertise on Soviet affairs. Before his ambassadorship in The Hague, he served as the Head of Chancery in the British Embassy in Washington, D.C.

On March 10, 1979, just three days before his 59th birthday, Sykes and his valet, Karel Straub, were shot and killed outside his residence in The Hague. The IRA claimed responsibility for the assassination, stating it was in retaliation for British policy in Northern Ireland. The assassination shocked the diplomatic community and led to increased security measures for British diplomats serving abroad. The murders remain a significant event in the history of British-Irish relations and the Troubles.