Gill Bennett

Gill Bennett is a Visiting Professor of War Studies and Visiting Research Fellow at King's College London's Department of War Studies, within the School of Security Studies. She holds dual fellowships with the Royal Historical Society (FrHistS) and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI as Senior Associate Fellow). Her career spans over four decades in British government historical roles, including Chief Historian of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (1995–2005) and senior editor of the official history of British foreign policy.

Her research focuses on British foreign policy, intelligence decision-making, and secret intelligence history. Key themes include the interplay between intelligence and foreign policy, historical analysis of intelligence leaks, and the role of intelligence in critical geopolitical moments. Recent work examines MI6 operations during the interwar period and the legacy of the Zinoviev Letter scandal.

Her publications bridge academic and public history, including Six Moments of Crisis (2013) and The Spy and the Devil (2025). Awards include the OBE for services to historical scholarship. She is affiliated with the King's Centre for the Study of Intelligence, a hub for interdisciplinary intelligence research.