This blog post was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Peter Westmacott

Former Ambassador to the United States of America

Part of UK in USA

9th May 2012 Washington DC, USA

Embassy Open House: Experience GREAT Britain in Washington

What is the first thing you think of when you think “United Kingdom?”

Maybe it’s Buckingham Palace and the generations of kings and queens who have ruled the British Isles since Roman times. Maybe it’s the plays and poems of William Shakespeare, or the fortunes of your favourite Premier League side. Maybe it’s the complex, smoky taste of a malt whisky from the Scottish Highlands. Or maybe it’s just our amazing weather…

Whatever it is that makes you think Britain is GREAT, we invite you to come experience it at the British Embassy on EU Open House Day on Saturday 12 May.

This is our fifth year of joining other EU embassies in opening our doors to the Washington Metropolitan area. It’s a chance for each country to celebrate what makes it unique, but also the common bonds among European countries and–just as importantly–the bonds we share with the United States.

2012 is an especially exciting year for the UK. June marks Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, celebrating her 60th year on the throne. In July, the Olympic and Paralympic Games come to London for the third time–the most ever for one city. We’ll be highlighting these fantastic events at this year’s Open House, as well as the history, culture and people that make the UK such a great place to visit and do business.

The Embassy gates will be open from 10 AM to 4 PM on Saturday 12 May. Buses will be available to ride from embassy to embassy. For more information, visit EUOpenHouse.org.

Hope to see you here!

About Peter Westmacott

Sir Peter Westmacott, KCMG, LVO was the British Ambassador to the United States from January 2012 to January 2016. He was born in the village of Edington, Somerset in the…

Sir Peter Westmacott, KCMG, LVO was the British Ambassador to the United States from January 2012 to January 2016.

He was born in the village of Edington, Somerset in the South West of
England in December 1950. He was educated at New College Oxford and
joined the Diplomatic Service in 1972.

After a year in the Middle East Department, and Persian language
training, Ambassador Westmacott was posted to Tehran in 1974. In 1978 he
was loaned to the European Commission in Brussels, before being posted
to Paris from 1980 to 1984.
After 3 years as Chief of Staff to successive Ministers of State in
London, he went to Ankara in 1987, for the first of his two diplomatic
postings to Turkey.
From 1990 to 1993, he was Deputy Private Secretary to HRH The Prince of Wales.
From 1993 to 1997, Ambassador Westmacott was Counsellor for Political
and Public Affairs in Washington, before returning to the Foreign and
Commonwealth Office as Director, Americas.
He joined the Board of the FCO in 2000 as Deputy Under Secretary and returned to Ankara as Ambassador in 2002.
In 2007 he moved to Paris where he served as Ambassador to France until the end of 2011.
Peter married Susie Nemazee in 2001. Between them they have four grown children, Oliver, Laura, Rupert and Safieh.

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British Embassy DC eu EU Day EU Open House Day europe European Union great britain London 2012 Open House uk UKinUSA United Kingdom washington Washington DC

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