Her Britannic Majesty’s Ambassador to the U.S., Sir Peter Westmacott, is a senior official with experience in contrasts: both hot zones of conflict and the calm environment of diplomacy.

He was the Ambassador to Turkey from 2002 to 2006. In 2003, he dealt with the suicide bomb attack that killed 15 people at the British Consulate in Istanbul. Then, after that challenge, he was involved with negotiations to bring Turkey into the European Union. His more than 40-year career in the British diplomacy has included service as the British Ambassador to France (2007-2011) and postings in Tehran and Brussels. His previous American assignment was in the mid-'90s as the British Embassy's Counselor for Political and Public Affairs.

In addition to those foreign service positions, from 1990 to 1993 Sir Peter was Deputy Private Secretary to His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In 1992, Sir Peter took the international spotlight by being the first royal spokesman to address the marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. That occurred when he berated reporters for focusing on the state of the marriage rather than the royal tour of South Korea. He said "the treatment is unfair and exaggerated" and asked the media to give Prince Charles and Diana "breathing space."