Britain’s Nato ambassador, 55, who once left top secret files at a bus stop has now sparked chaos after moving his 29-year-old Italian intern girlfriend into the official residence

It has been reported that the British ambassador to NATO had a love affair with an Italian intern almost half his age, surprising diplomats.

Senior figures expressed concern that 55-year-old Angus Lapsley, a father of two, was with his assistant Francesca Cortini, 29.

The pair are understood to have met when Lapsley was a 27-year-old trainee at NATO Headquarters, shortly after Lapsley narrowly escaped the sack for leaving 50 pages of “top secret” documents at a bus stop in Kent.

But now the love between them has become an ‘open secret’ among diplomats. It is thought the couple could even live in the luxury British residence in Belgium, which Lapsley has the right to use and shares with two colleagues.

A source told Times: ‘They made no attempt to hide their relationship. Angus used the house as if it were his own and she was there for Christmas and summer receptions.’

According to reports, Lapsley withdrew from a meeting at NATO headquarters on Wednesday after he and the State Department were informed that details of his relationship would soon be made public.

It is stated that Lapsley’s astonishing love affair with Cortini came to the fore so much that it was even brought to the attention of Admiral Sir Keith Blount, the most senior British officer in NATO.

Dame Caroline Wilson, Britain’s soon-to-be ambassador to the European Union, also raised the alarm, saying it was ‘inappropriate’ for the couple to be living together in the beautiful Rue Ducale townhouse in Brussels.

The pair are understood to have met when Lapsley was a 27-year-old trainee at NATO Headquarters, shortly after he narrowly escaped the sack for leaving 50 pages of ‘top secret’ documents at a bus stop in Kent.

Here the couple are photographed together in a photo taken from Lapsley’s page X, in which she is seen serving him pancakes.

However, after investigation, NATO decided that Lapsley and Cortini’s controversial love affair did not violate any rules.

‘NATO requires all executives to declare any real or perceived conflicts of interest,’ an official said. ‘This policy has been around for a long time and has not changed in recent years.’

Unlike the British military, NATO does not view romantic relationships within the chain of command as a plunderable crime.

Just last year, the Royal Navy’s former First Sea Lord Ben Kay was sacked and stripped of his rank as Admiral for having an affair with one of his subordinates.

Lapsley made sure NATO bosses were aware of this new romance. SunIt started after he broke up with his wife, Gina.

The diplomat was only appointed Britain’s ambassador in 2025, less than four years after he faced investigation for an almost comical mistake while seconded from the Foreign Office to the Ministry of Defence.

Lapsley left the 50-page secret document, which contained the secret locations of British special forces soldiers in Kabul, Afghanistan, behind a bus stop in Kent.

A source said the files fell out of the Canterbury native’s bag on the way to work and were found wet and piled high at a bus stop by a member of the public.

It is thought the couple could even live in the luxury British residence in Belgium, which Lapsley has the right to use and shares with two colleagues.

According to The Sun, Lapsley informed Nato bosses about his new romance, which began after he split from his wife Gina.

The setback sparked an angry reaction from senior figures in America, who feared it could endanger their troops in South Asia.

Lapsley was director-general of strategy and international at the Ministry of Defense at the time and was in line to become the UK’s ambassador to NATO – after all, he had waited four years to take on the role.

His security clearance was suspended following the incident, but was later reinstated following an investigation.

He was later appointed to the planning role and only last month replaced the UK’s NATO representative, Sir David Quarrey.