Donald Maitland

Sir Donald James Dundas Maitland (16 August 192222 August 2010) was a senior British diplomat. He served as British Prime Minister Edward Heath's press secretary 1970 to 1974.

Early life Donald was the son of Thomas Maitland. He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and educated at George Watson's College and the University of Edinburgh. Between 1956 and 1960 he was Director of the Middle East Centre for Arab Studies, Lebanon. In 1967 he became Principal Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary and later Ambassador to Libya.

In June 1980 he was appointed Permanent Secretary at the Department of Energy, until his retirement from the civil service in December 1982. In 1995, he was awarded an Honorary Degree (Doctor of Laws) by the University of Bath, and was their pro-chancellor from 1997 to 2000.

Personal life Maitland lived between Bath and Bradford on Avon. He married Jean Young in 1950, and had a son and a daughter.