Dame Stella Rimington, MI5’s first female director general, has died, her family have said.
Dame Stella, who headed the service from 1992 to 1996, was widely credited as being the model for Dame Judi Dench’s M in the James Bond films.
She joined MI5 full time in 1969, and served as deputy director general in 1991 before being promoted to director general a year later.
She was the first to be publicly identified when appointed – and when a newspaper published a photo of her house, she and her family had to move to a covert location for their own protection.
After leaving the service, Dame Stella began a career as a novelist.
In a statement, her family said: “She died surrounded by her beloved family and dogs and determinedly held on to the life she loved until her last breath.”
