Sir Peter Westmacott is a distinguished ambassadorial fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center.

He became British ambassador to the United States in January 2012. This was his second posting to Washington since he previously served as the British Embassy’s counsellor for political and public affairs in the mid-1990s. His tour of duty ended in January 2016.

Prior to his service as ambassador to the United States, Westmacott served as ambassador to France from 2007 to 2012 and ambassador to Turkey from 2002 to 2006. Westmacott’s forty-year career in the British Diplomatic Service has also included four years in Iran (before the Revolution) and a secondment to the European Commission in Brussels.

He was the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s director for the Americas from 1997 to 2000 before taking a seat on the board as deputy under secretary.

From 1990 to 1993, he was deputy private secretary to HRH The Prince of Wales.

Peter’s personal connection with the United States extends back even further than his diplomatic career. In 1941 his father was a sub-lieutenant on the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious when she was badly damaged by the Luftwaffe in the Mediterranean and subsequently accompanied Illustrious to Norfolk, VA for repairs before she returned to active duty.

Peter was born in Somerset in the south west of England and read history and French at New College, Oxford. He is married to Susie Nemazee and between them they have four grown children.