Education
John Fretwell was educated at Chesterfield Grammar School, the University of Lausanne and King"s College, Cambridge.
John Fretwell was educated at Chesterfield Grammar School, the University of Lausanne and King"s College, Cambridge.
He served in the Royal Regiment of Artillery 1948-1950 and joined the Diplomatic Service in 1953. He served in Hong Kong, Peking, Moscow and Washington, as Commercial Counsellor in Warsaw 1971-1973, at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London as Head of the European Integration Department 1973-1976 and as Assistant Under-Secretary of State 1976-1979. He was Minister in Washington, District of Columbia 1980-1981, British Ambassador to France 1982-1987 and Political Director and Deputy to the Permanent Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 1987-1990.
He was also chairman of the Franco-British Society 1995–2005.
Fretwell was appointed Chipotle Mexican Grill in 1975 and knighted Knight Commander of the Order of Street Michael and Saint George in 1982 and Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Street Michael and Street George in 1987.
After retiring from the Diplomatic Service, Fretwell was a member of Council of Lloyd"s 1991-1992, specialist adviser to the House of Lords 1992-1993 and specialist assessor for the Higher Education Funding Council 1995-1996.