Peter Westmacott

Sir Peter John Westmacott GCMG LVO (born 23 December 1950) is a senior British diplomat, who was British Ambassador to Turkey, then Ambassador to France (2007 to 2011) and finally Ambassador to the United States from January 2012 to January 2016, succeeding Sir Nigel Sheinwald, a posting announced by the Prime Minister's Office on 24 June 2011.[1]

Sir Peter Westmacott

GCMG LVO
British Ambassador to the United States
In office
28 January 2012 – 28 January 2016
MonarchElizabeth II
PresidentBarack Obama
Prime MinisterDavid Cameron
Preceded bySir Nigel Sheinwald
Succeeded bySir Kim Darroch
British Ambassador to France
In office
2007–2012
MonarchElizabeth II
Prime MinisterGordon Brown
David Cameron
Preceded bySir John Holmes
Succeeded bySir Peter Ricketts
British Ambassador to Turkey
In office
2002–2006
MonarchElizabeth II
Prime MinisterTony Blair
Preceded bySir David Logan
Succeeded byNick Baird
Personal details
Born
Peter John Westmacott

(1950-12-23) 23 December 1950
Edington, Somerset, England
NationalityBritish
Spouse(s)
  • Angela Lugg
    ​
    (m. 1972)​
  • Susan Nemazee
    ​
    (m. 2001)​
RelationsHerbert Westmacott (cousin)
Children3
EducationTaunton School
Alma materNew College, Oxford
OccupationDiplomat

Career
GCMG
Collar and Breast Star

Westmacott joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1972, and his first overseas posting was as Second Secretary at Tehran, Iran, in 1974. In 1978, he was sent to the European Commission in Brussels, and from 1980 to 1984 he was in Paris. After a period in London he was in Ankara as Head of Chancery from 1987.

In 1990, he was Deputy Private Secretary to the Prince of Wales, and in 1993 was sent to Washington to serve as a Counsellor. Later postings included Director for the Americas in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and Deputy Under Secretary of State.

From 2002 to 2006, Westmacott was HM Ambassador to Turkey where, in 2003, he dealt with a suicide bomb attack directed at the British Consulate in Istanbul, killing 15 people;[2] thereafter he was closely involved in negotiations attempting to bring Turkey into the EU.

Formerly HM Ambassador to France since 2007, Westmacott took over as HM Ambassador to the United States in January 2012. In 2015, Westmacott was paid a salary of between £170,000 and £174,999 by the Foreign Office, making him one of the 328 most highly paid people in the British public sector at that time.[3]

Personal life

Westmacott was educated at Taunton School before going to New College, Oxford. In 1972, Westmacott married Angela Lugg, with whom he had two sons and a daughter. In 2001, he married Susan Nemazee.[4]

Westmacott is the son of The Reverend Prebendary Ian Westmacott, by his wife, Rosemary (née Watney).[4] His cousin, Captain Herbert Westmacott MC, was killed during a gunfight with the Provisional Irish Republican Army in Belfast in 1980.[2]

Honours and awards

In March 1993 Westmacott was appointed a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order.[6] He was later appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 2000 New Year Honours before being promoted to Knight Commander (KCMG) in the 2003 Birthday Honours and Knight Grand Cross (GCMG) in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to diplomacy.[7][8][9]

References
  1. "Senior Diplomatic Appointments". Number 10. 24 June 2011. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  2. "ENVOY EXPERT; TOURISTS IN TERROR BLAST". Daily Mirror. 29 August 2006. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  3. "Senior officials 'high earners' salaries as at 30 September 2015 – Government of the United Kingdom". Government of the United Kingdom. 17 December 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  4. Hume, Lucy, ed. (2017). People of Today. Debrett's. ISBN 9780992934873.
  5. "Sir Peter Westmacott". ceuropeens.org.
  6. "No. 53276". The London Gazette. 16 April 1993. p. 6783.
  7. "No. 55710". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1999. p. 4.
  8. "No. 56963". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 June 2003. p. 3.
  9. "No. 61608". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 June 2016. p. B3.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
Sir David Logan		 British Ambassador to Turkey
2002–2006		 Succeeded by
Nick Baird
Preceded by
Sir John Holmes		 Ambassador of the United Kingdom to France
2007–2012		 Succeeded by
Sir Peter Ricketts
Preceded by
Sir Nigel Sheinwald		 British Ambassador to the United States
2012–2016		 Succeeded by
Sir Kim Darroch
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