Sir Christopher Meyer debates American dominance, Iraq and NATO

Sir Christopher Meyer

Former British Ambassador to the United States (1997-2003) & author of Getting Our Way: 500 Years of Adventure and Intrigue: the Inside Story of British Diplomacy

Sir Christopher Meyer was almost 40 years in the British Diplomatic Service. His career culminated as Ambassador to the United States during the Bill Clinton and George W Bush presidencies. His five and a half years in Washington, which made him the longest-serving Ambassador to the USA since the Second World War, coincided with 9/11, the war in Afghanistan and the preparation for war in Iraq.

Before then he was Ambassador to Germany and had postings to Russia, Spain and the European Union in Brussels. He was also Press Secretary to Prime Minister John Major, Foreign Office Spokesman, and speech writer to three Foreign Secretaries. Sir Christopher was knighted by Her Majesty The Queen in 1998.

After his retirement from the Diplomatic Service in 2003, Sir Christopher chaired the Press Complaints Commission for six years until March 2009. He is now a regular television, radio and newspaper commentator on international affairs and the media. In 2005 he published DC Confidential, a memoir of his time in the Diplomatic Service. His latest book, Getting Our Way: 500 Years of Adventure and Intrigue: The Inside Story of British Diplomacy, was published last year and accompanied a three-part TV series for BBC4. He has also recently broadcast a documentary series on the Press for BBC Radio 4, called the The Watchdog and the Feral Beast.

Sir Christopher is an Honorary Fellow of Peterhouse, Cambridge, and a visiting Professor at the University of North Carolina. He is a non-executive director of the Arbuthnot Banking Group; a member of the international advisory board of Fleishman-Hillard; a Governor of the English-Speaking Union; and a member of the executive committee of The Pilgrims. He is a Freeman of the City of London.

Sir Christopher is married to Catherine, who is Chair and Chief Executive of the international children’s charity, PACT (Parents and Abducted Children Together). They have four sons between them.