Peter Wakefield (diplomat)
Encyclopedia
Sir Peter George Arthur Wakefield CMG KBE (born 13 May, 1922, in London
, died 1 December, 2010 in Richmond, London) was a British diplomat and art fund director. He served as a diplomat in Amman
, Nicosia
, Cairo
, Vienna
, Tokyo
and Benghazi
and as the United Kingdom's Ambassador in Lebanon
and Belgium
. Following his retirement from the diplomatic service, Sir Peter was appointed director of the National Art Collections Fund
.
He was educated at Cranleigh School and at Corpus Christi College, Oxford
. He served in the Royal Artillery at the end of the Second World War and rose to the rank of captain. He joined the Foreign Office in 1949. He learned Arabic at the Middle East Centre for Arabic Studies in Lebanon, where he married Felicity Maurice-Jones, an artist working with Palestinian refugees, in 1951.
He was appointed CMG in 1973 and made a KBE in 1977.
He was a patron of Child In Need India
(CINI).
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, died 1 December, 2010 in Richmond, London) was a British diplomat and art fund director. He served as a diplomat in Amman
Amman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
, Nicosia
Nicosia
Nicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...
, Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
and Benghazi
Benghazi
Benghazi is the second largest city in Libya, the main city of the Cyrenaica region , and the former provisional capital of the National Transitional Council. The wider metropolitan area is also a district of Libya...
and as the United Kingdom's Ambassador in Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. Following his retirement from the diplomatic service, Sir Peter was appointed director of the National Art Collections Fund
National Art Collections Fund
The Art Fund is an independent membership-based British charity, which raises funds to aid the acquisition of artworks for the nation. It gives grants and acts as a channel for many gifts and bequests, as well as lobbying on behalf of museums and galleries and their users...
.
He was educated at Cranleigh School and at Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom...
. He served in the Royal Artillery at the end of the Second World War and rose to the rank of captain. He joined the Foreign Office in 1949. He learned Arabic at the Middle East Centre for Arabic Studies in Lebanon, where he married Felicity Maurice-Jones, an artist working with Palestinian refugees, in 1951.
He was appointed CMG in 1973 and made a KBE in 1977.
He was a patron of Child In Need India
Child In Need Institute (CINI)
CINI, known internationally as Child In Need India and in India as the Child In Need Institute, is an international humanitarian organisation aimed at promoting "sustainable development in health, nutrition and education of child, adolescent and woman in need" in India...
(CINI).