Rimington's legacy includes paving the way for other women in intelligence roles, with successors like Eliza Manningham-Buller and Anne Keast-Butler leading MI5 and GCHQ, respectively.

After retiring in 1996, Rimington maintained a public profile, warning against overly harsh anti-terrorism laws and participating in literary activities, including chairing the Man Booker Prize panel.

Born Stella Whitehouse on May 13, 1935, in South Norwood, London, Rimington faced challenges during her childhood, particularly during World War II, which instilled a lasting fear of confined spaces.

She excelled academically, studying English at Edinburgh University before taking a course in archive administration, which led her to various archival positions.

Rimington became known as the 'first lady of espionage' during her groundbreaking tenure as Director General of MI5 from 1992 to 1996, a role traditionally dominated by men.

She was appointed director of counter-espionage in 1986 and became MI5 director general in 1992, earning a salary equivalent to approximately £250,000 today.

During her leadership, she was instrumental in increasing MI5's transparency, including publishing a booklet about the agency's role and delivering a lecture on the security services' functions in a democracy.

Rimington advocated for a balanced approach to secrecy, emphasizing that it should not define the agency's operations, as expressed in a public lecture in 1994.

She criticized successive governments for increasingly stringent anti-terrorism laws, describing the response to the 9/11 attacks as a significant overreaction.

She published her memoir 'Open Secret' and a series of spy thrillers featuring fictional MI5 officer Liz Carlyle, with her latest book, 'The Devil’s Bargain', released in 2022.

Rimington passed away surrounded by family and pets, having held on to life until her last breath, leaving behind her husband, two daughters, and five grandchildren.

She was honored as a Dame Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1996, one of the highest accolades from the British state.