Blaise Metreweli is poised to make history as the first woman to lead the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service, commonly known as MI6. However, her upcoming appointment has recently been accompanied by revelations regarding her paternal grandfather’s disturbing past as a Nazi spy.
Announced earlier this month as the incoming head of MI6 – the agency’s 18th chief in its 116-year history – Ms. Metreweli is set to take over the prestigious role later this year from Sir Richard Moore. With limited public information available about her background, recent reports have brought a complex family history to light.
The Grandfather’s Dark History: “The Butcher”
Documents reportedly uncovered in a German archive in Freiburg, detailed first by the Daily Mail, reveal Ms. Metreweli’s grandfather was Constantine Dobrowolski. According to these findings, Dobrowolski defected from the Soviet Red Army and became a chief informant for the Nazis in Chernihiv, Ukraine, during the Second World War.
He was reportedly known to Wehrmacht commanders by chilling monikers, including “The Butcher” and “Agent No 30.” The archived documents allegedly paint a grim picture of his actions, suggesting he signed letters to Nazi superiors with “Heil Hitler” and claimed “personal” involvement in “the extermination of the Jews.” Reports also indicate his alleged participation in looting the bodies of Holocaust victims, murdering local Jews, and laughing while witnessing the sexual assault of female prisoners.
Post-War Traces and Family Lineage
Further evidence reviewed by BBC News points to Dobrowolski appearing on a “top secret” most wanted list compiled by the Soviet spy agency, the KGB, in 1969. This extensive 460-page list catalogued individuals considered “foreign intelligence agents, traitors to the motherland, members of anti-Soviet organisations, punishers and other criminals subject to wanting.”
An entry believed to be for Dobrowolski states he “participated in the executions of Soviet citizens” and was a “resident of German intelligence.” The document notes he “escaped with the Germans” in September 1943, suggesting he may have still been alive in the late 1960s.
After the war, Dobrowolski’s wife, Barbara, and their two-month-old son, Constantine Jr., fled to Britain. Barbara later married David Metreweli in 1947. Constantine Jr. subsequently adopted his stepfather’s surname, becoming Constantine Metreweli. However, a naturalisation certificate from July 1966, held in the National Archives, reportedly still listed his surname as Dobrowolski with Metreweli noted as an “alias.” Constantine Metreweli Jr. became a radiologist and served as a veteran in the UK armed forces. His daughter, Blaise Metreweli, the incoming MI6 chief, was born in 1977 and joined the intelligence agency 22 years later.
MI6’s Official Response: Distancing the Chief
Responding to the revelations about Constantine Dobrowolski, the Foreign Office, which acts as the public voice for MI6, has sought to create distance between the new chief and her grandfather’s history.
A spokesperson for the Foreign Office explicitly stated that Ms. Metreweli “neither knew nor met her paternal grandfather.”
Complex Heritage Framed as Strength
Acknowledging the challenging nature of her family background, the spokesperson added, “Blaise’s ancestry is characterised by conflict and division and, as is the case for many with eastern European heritage, only partially understood.”
Intriguingly, the Foreign Office then framed this complex heritage as a positive attribute for her new role, suggesting it “has contributed to her commitment to prevent conflict and protect the British public from modern threats from today’s hostile states,” making her uniquely suited to lead MI6.
Blaise Metreweli’s Background and Career
Aside from her ancestry, Ms. Metreweli’s professional background is marked by significant achievement. She is a graduate of Cambridge University and an enthusiastic rower. Throughout her 22-year career at MI6, she has held operational roles in regions including the Middle East and Europe. Currently, she is responsible for leading the agency’s technology and innovation efforts.
Ms. Metreweli herself has not publicly commented on the reports concerning her grandfather. Upon her appointment, she released a statement expressing she was “proud and honoured” to be asked to lead the Secret Intelligence Service. The surfacing of her grandfather’s dark wartime activities adds an unexpected and complex dimension to the profile of the individual set to become the first female head of one of the world’s foremost intelligence agencies.
