Women with Balls were back in the autumn of a new series and more interviews with trailblazing women from all walks of life.

But in the meantime, we thought we'd go through the archives and pick a couple that stand out, or perhaps have grown even more interesting through the passage of time.

Today, with Dame Karen Pearce, who is about to finish her term as the UK's first female ambassador to the United

States. I spoke to her in August 2019 when she was permanent representative on the United

Nations Security Council for the UK. Of course, there's much talk now in Britain and in Labour

circles about who Kirstarmer might pick to succeed Karen Pierce,

whether he might go political with someone like Peter Manderson or perhaps more a civil

servant choice. So before we get to that stage, let's learn a bit more about the woman who has

been doing that job and making inroads both the Biden team and Donald Trump's.

Hello and welcome to Women with Balls, where I, Katie Balls, talk to today's trailblazers.

Today I'm delighted to be joined by Karen Pierce, the UK's ambassador to the UN.

Pierce has had a long career as a diplomat joining the foreign office in 1981. Her work has taken

her to Japan, Washington, D.C., and Afghanistan. In March 2018, she became the first woman to ever be

appointed as the UK's permanent representative to the UN. With the Security Council responsible

for maintenance of international peace and security,

Pierce fights the UK's diplomatic battles.

Pierce was thrown into the deep end when in her first week in the job,

she found herself in battle with Russia on the Security Council over who was to blame for the Novichok nerve agent poisoning in Salisbury.

When her Russian counterpart suggested that they would present new evidence in the emergency session,

Pierce replied, Bring it on.

The pair went on to cross-literary swords, exchanging Lewis Carrel, Alison Wonderland quotes, to make their points.

This paper has just been picked up. What's in it? said the Queen.

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