Here is Sir Philip Barton (18th Century French Foreign Office Mandarin) holidaying at this chateau while desperate Afghans flee Kabul, fearing for their lives.
Sir Philip, 58, the £185,000-a-year head of the Diplomatic Service, and his wife Amanda enjoyed a two-week break at this imposing stone-brick property in the heart of the Dordogne – one of the most picturesque regions of France.
After Kabul was overthrown by Islamist fanatics in August last year, the Permanent Secretary was on vacation in France while his staff managed a chaotic system of allocating mercy flight places.
Sir Philip stayed in France until 26 August – 11 days after the fall of Kabul – and during a car crash appearance before the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, he admitted this was a mistake.
He told MPs that he had reflected deeply on the matter and would have never done it again if he could have more time.
Situated a short drive from the popular tourist town of Sarlat-la-Caneda and close to the beguiling Dordogne river, the château is estimated to be worth €1.2 million (£1 million). Germans, Dutchmen, and Britons are keen to purchase their French dream home in the Dordogne.
Amanda, Sir Philip’s wife, enjoyed a 2-week stay at this impressive stone-brick house in the middle of the Dordogne.
Right, Sir Philip and his wife, Susan Colley were her guests. Daryl Colley is the CEO of a telecoms company.
This career civil servant represented Britain at embassies around the globe. He stayed in the chateau in rolling hills of the Dordogne, which has many bedrooms and an overlooking terrace with vines.
Horses can graze in the paddock next to the purpose-built stables.
Sir Philip Colley (58), and Amanda Colley were among the guests of Susan Colley and Daryl Colley, her brother and CEO of French telecoms.
Today, Mrs Colley confirmed that the Foreign Office Chief had been at her house in the hamlet.
On the doorstep of her 3-storey mansion in 18 century London, she said to MailOnline, “Philip Barton, my brother-inlaw, was there during the summer.”
“But, I do not want to talk about it.” He has been criticized about the incident and it is very upsetting for me.
The idyllic situation of Sir Philip was starkly different to the chaotic scenes within the Foreign Office, which Raphael Marshall described in his 34-page dossier.
The chairman stated that there was a lack of coordination, a culture of 9-5 and a lack of coordination in the operation. He also said that overwhelmed officials were unable to handle the enormity of the task.
Marshall said that only five percent of Afghans in search of safety received sanctuary from the British. He also pointed out the difficulty of prioritizing the British’s assistance, which meant that many of the most vulnerable were not given the help they needed.
An old friend from Britain who was a relative of the Bartons has claimed that the civil servant did not attend, saying that he was helping Amanda after the loss of their mother Joyce.
This beautiful Chateau, set among the rolling hills of the Dordogne Region and surrounded by acres and trees, is located in the Dordogne region.
Like most doors, the door has a letterbox and a piece of handwritten paper that gives the family names of those who are staying.
MailOnline was told by a friend that Phillip is an extremely hardworking man and a wonderful guy. He’s rarely at home. He goes to work early and comes home late at night.
“In August Philip, Amanda and Sue went on vacation to France to see her sister Sue.
They wanted to spend time with each other to support one another through the grief after their mother died earlier in this year.
“It’s true that he has been criticised for his inability to return to London after Kabul’s fall, but he kept talking on the telephone all day.
“He wanted Amanda there.”
Colley stated that it had been “a tough year.”
A suicide bomber was set off by an ISIS-K member outside Kabul’s gates, killing at most 183 people on Sir Philip’s return to work.
Sir Philip stated that he regretted leaving and said that Kabul was not certain to fall.
On the same day, however, widespread reports claimed that Taliban had seize five provincial capitals in just three days. Meanwhile pilots of Afghan airforces deserted following the murder of a colleague.
Stables of French Chateau were Chief of the Foreign Office Philip Barton was in France on vacation.
Two days prior to Kabul’s fall, the Foreign Office internal accepted that Kabul would be taken to the Taliban and he began a three week holiday.
After being confronted by MPs claiming that his continual absence was a breach of duty, the civil servant said that he regretted the decision. His staff needed visibility. But, he claimed that his absence didn’t have any impact on the evacuation of the people Britain had been able to allow.
“We’re not saying that we did a great job, but 15,000 people were rescued,” he said.
Sir Philip responded to Mr Marshall, a 25-year old witness. He said that there was no clocking culture in the FCDO. However, he stated that eight hour shifts were maintained to avoid ‘burnout’.
Sir Philip did not reveal where he was going on vacation, although he admitted it to MPs.
Father-of-two, this father-of-2 has been with the Foreign Office for almost his whole career. He joined the Foreign Office in 1986 following a degree in Economics from Warwick University.
He has served as the Deputy Governor in Caracas and New Delhi as well as as the Deputy Ambassador to Washington. Between 2014 and 2016, he served as British High Commissioner to Pakistan.
He served as the private secretary to Tony Blair and John Major, Prime Ministers.
After Kabul was overthrown by Islamist fanatics last August, the Permanent Secretary went on vacation in France.
Sir Philip stayed in France until 26 August – 11 days after the fall of Kabul – which has raised questions about his leadership
As Director General for the 2016 Anti-Corruption Summit, and Director Foreign Policy as well as the National Security Council Coordinator Afghanistan/Pakistan, he has worked at the Cabinet Office.
On Sunday, August 15, the Taliban overran Kabul. On Sunday, August 15, the Taliban took control of Kabul. Former Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab received severe criticism for not cutting his holiday to Crete short. Matthew Rycroft (permanent secretary at the Home Office) and David Williams (Minister of Defence), were also criticised for staying on leave.
After it was revealed that he had not made a call to Afghanistan’s foreign minister regarding getting translators out of his five-star resort in Crete, Mr Raab resisted calls for him to resign.
Although officials initially stated that the task was being delegated by a junior minister at first, later evidence revealed that it never happened. It was deemed impossible to organize a phone call prior to the collapse of Afghanistan’s government by the Foreign Office.
One month later, Mr Raab, who was in great distress, was transferred from the Foreign Office to Ministry of Justice. He was given the title of deputy prime minister and was allowed to share the use of Chevening’s 115-room Grace-and-Favour Mansion and the 3,300-acre Chevening estate with Liz Truss.