Peter Wilson (diplomat)

The Honourable
Peter Wilson
CMG
The Honourable Peter Wilson CMG
Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister
	In office; 8 March 2022 – 6 September 2022
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Martin Reynolds
Succeeded by	Nick Catsaras
British Ambassador to Brazil
	In office; January 2021 – March 2022
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Vijay Rangarajan
Succeeded by	Stephanie Al-Qaq
British Ambassador to the Netherlands
	In office; August 2017 – September 2020
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Theresa May ; Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Geoffrey Adams
Succeeded by	Joanna Roper
Personal details
Born	Peter Michael Alexander Wilson; 31 March 1968 (age 56)
Nationality	British
Children	3
Parent	David Wilson, Baron Wilson of Tillyorn (father);
Education	Eton College
Alma mater	Merton College, Oxford ; Harvard University

Peter Michael Alexander Wilson CMG (born 31 March 1968) is a civil servant whose most recent post was to serve as Director General Europe in the FCDO. He has also served as British Ambassador to Brazil, British Ambassador to the Netherlands, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Early life

Wilson is a son of David Wilson, Baron Wilson of Tillyorn. He was educated at Eton and Merton College, Oxford. He also has a MPA degree from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Career

Wilson joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 1992 and was posted to Beijing where he studied Mandarin at the University of International Business and Economics. He served at the British embassy in Beijing 1995–98. In early 1999 he was appointed to the cabinet of Sir Leon Brittan, who was a Vice-President of the European Commission. After Brittan resigned with the rest of the Santer Commission in March 1999, Wilson continued as First Secretary at the UK representation to the EU. He was head of the Strategic Policy Team at the FCO 2003–04; Political Counsellor at Islamabad 2005–06 and at Beijing 2007–10; and Director, Asia Pacific, at the FCO 2010–13. He was deputy permanent representative to the United Nations (with the rank of ambassador) 2013–17.^[1]

In January 2017 the FCO announced Wilson's appointment as Ambassador to the Netherlands.^[2] He took up the post when King Willem-Alexander received his credentials on 23 August 2017. On 30 August that same year he presented his credentials to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.^[3] In January 2021 he was appointed Ambassador to Brazil.

On 8 March 2022 Wilson was announced as Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, filling the vacancy that had been left by Martin Reynolds' resignation earlier that year.^[4] However, Wilson vacated the role after six months when Liz Truss became Prime Minister on 6 September 2022 and appointed Nick Catsaras as her new Principal Private Secretary.^[5] From March 2023 to August 2024 Wilson served as Director General Europe in the FCDO. ^[6]

Personal life

Wilson is married and has three children.

Honours

Wilson was appointed CMG in the 2013 Birthday Honours "for services to strengthening British foreign policy in Asia".^[7]

References

^ WILSON, Hon. Peter Michael Alexander, Who's Who 2017, A & C Black, 2017 (online edition, Oxford University Press, 2016)
^ "Change of Ambassador to the Netherlands". Press release. Foreign & Commonwealth Office. 11 January 2017.
^ "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
^ "Peter Wilson appointed Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister". GOV.UK. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
^ Dickson, Annabelle (8 September 2022). "Welcome to Trussworld: Meet the new-look team in 10 Downing Street". POLITICO. POLITICO. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
^ Peter Wilson CMG at www.gov.uk Retrieved 22 October 2024
^ "No. 60534". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 June 2013. p. 3.

External links

Peter Wilson CMG at www.gov.uk Retrieved 22 October 2024

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Sir Geoffrey Adams	British Ambassador to the Netherlands 2017–2020	Succeeded by Joanna Roper
Preceded by Vijay Rangarajan	British Ambassador to Brazil 2021–2022	Succeeded by TBA
Government offices
Preceded by Martin Reynolds	Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister 2022	Succeeded by Nick Catsaras

[1] WILSON, Hon. Peter Michael Alexander, Who's Who 2017, A & C Black, 2017 (online edition, Oxford University Press, 2016)

[2] "Change of Ambassador to the Netherlands". Press release. Foreign & Commonwealth Office. 11 January 2017.

[3] "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Retrieved 12 August 2019.

[4] "Peter Wilson appointed Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister". GOV.UK. Retrieved 8 March 2022.

[5] Dickson, Annabelle (8 September 2022). "Welcome to Trussworld: Meet the new-look team in 10 Downing Street". POLITICO. POLITICO. Retrieved 10 September 2022.

[6] Peter Wilson CMG at www.gov.uk Retrieved 22 October 2024

[7] "No. 60534". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 June 2013. p. 3.

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v t e Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister
Prime Minister's Office
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Neville Chamberlain	Osmund Cleverly (1937–1939) Arthur Rucker (1939–1940)
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Anthony Eden	David Pitblado (1955–1956) Frederick Bishop (1956–1957)
Harold Macmillan	Frederick Bishop (1957–1959) Timothy Bligh (1959–1963)
Alec Douglas-Home	Timothy Bligh (1963–1964)
Harold Wilson	Derek Mitchell (1964–1966) Michael Halls (1966–1970) Alexander Isserlis (1970) Robert Armstrong (1974–1975) Kenneth Stowe (1975–1976)
Edward Heath	Alexander Isserlis (1970) Robert Armstrong (1970–1974)
James Callaghan	Kenneth Stowe (1976–1979)
Margaret Thatcher	Kenneth Stowe (1979) Clive Whitmore (1979–1982) Robin Butler (1982–1985) Nigel Wicks (1985–1988) Andrew Turnbull (1988–1990)
John Major	Andrew Turnbull (1990–1992) Alex Allan (1992–1997)
Tony Blair	Alex Allan (1997) Sir John Holmes (1997–1999) Jeremy Heywood (1999–2003) Ivan Rogers (2003–2006) Olly Robbins (2006–2007)
Gordon Brown	Olly Robbins (2007) Tom Scholar (2007–2008) Sir Jeremy Heywood (2008–2010)
David Cameron	James Bowler (2010–2011) Chris Martin (2011–2015) Simon Case (2015–2016)
Theresa May	Simon Case (2016–2017) Peter Hill (2017–2019)
Boris Johnson	Peter Hill (2019) Martin Reynolds (2019–2022) Peter Wilson (2022)
Liz Truss	Nick Catsaras (2022)
Rishi Sunak Keir Starmer	Elizabeth Perelman (2022–)