Trustee to the Board of the Royal Armouries re-appointed by Culture Secretary
Culture Secretary, The Rt Hon Karen Bradley MP, has reappointed Mark Urban for a second term until the 2nd of September 2020
Mark is the Diplomatic and Defence Editor for BBC Two’s Newsnight and has covered diplomatic and defence matters for more than 20 years at the BBC. His major stories have included: the 1990 invasions of Iraq and subsequent Desert Storm campaign; the collapse of the Soviet Union; the Oslo peace process in the Middle East; the wars that broke out in the former Yugoslavia in the mid-1990s as well as the diplomacy that stopped them; the second Palestinian Intifada; 9/11 and its aftermath; the Coalition campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq; the Arab Spring and the UK’s EU referendum campaign. Before joining the BBC as a reporter he was Defence Correspondent for The Independent newspaper for four years, covering the end of the Cold War and the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan. Mark Urban is also well known as a military historian, with several best-selling books to his credit. These have included ‘Rifles’, about the Napoleonic Wars, ‘Generals’ an exploration of the British Army’s leadership since its foundation in 1688, and titles concerning more recent history such as ‘Task Force Black’ on Iraq and ‘The Edge’ about the East-West military balance.
Royal Armouries Trustees are not remunerated. This reappointment has been made in accordance with the OCPA Code of Practice. It is a requirement of the Code that political activity by those appointed is declared. Mark Urban has declared no political activity.