John Adye

Sir John Anthony Adye Knight Commander of the [Order of St Michael and St George|KCMG] is a former Director of the British signals intelligence agency, GCHQ, a post he held from 1989 to 1996.

Career

Adye was born to Arthur Francis Capel Adye and Hilda Marjorie. Educated at Leighton [Park School] and Lincoln College, Oxford, Adye joined GCHQ in 1962 becoming Director in 1989. After retiring from GCHQ in 1996, he served as the chair of the Country Houses Association until 2002. In 1993 Adye was appointed Order of [St Michael and St George|Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George]. In 2005 he was appointed to the board of the US National Biometric Security Project.
Adye was a witness in February 2008 at the inquest into the death of Diana, [Princess of Wales]: in an unprecedented move, he strenuously denied that GCHQ had any involvement in either the Camillagate or Squidgygate tapes.