Archibald Ross

Sir Archibald David Manisty Ross (12 October 1911 – 25 January 1996) was a British diplomat and civil servant who served as British Ambassador to Portugal from 1961 to 1966 and British Ambassador to Sweden from 1966 to 1971.

Early life and education

Ross was born on 12 October 1911, the son of J. A. Ross who was a member of the Indian Civil Service, and Dorothea née Manisty. He was educated at Winchester College and New College, Oxford where he took a double first.

Career

Ross entered the Foreign Office in 1936, was first posted to Berlin in 1939 and was then at Stockholm during the War from 1939 to 1944. After working at the Foreign Office, he was posted to Tehran in 1947 where he served until 1950. From 1950 to 1953, he was counsellor at the Foreign Office, and served as head of the Permanent Under-Secretary's Department and head of the Eastern Department. In 1953, he was appointed minister at Rome, a post he held until 1956. Then from 1956 to 1961, he was assistant under-secretary for Foreign Affairs, responsible for Southern Europe, Africa and Middle East.

Ross served as Ambassador to Portugal from 1961 to 1966. In 1966, he was appointed Ambassador to Sweden, remaining in the post until his retirement in 1971. According to The Times, "Both missions were places that called for the decorum and calm judgment which were Ross's trademark and he conducted them well, but neither was of a weight to test his intellect and diplomatic skill to the full." and promoted to Knight Commander (KCMG) in the 1961 New Year Honours.