Patrick Moberly

Sir Patrick Hamilton Moberly (2 September 1928 – 13 January 2024) was a British diplomat. He served as the British Ambassador to Israel and British Ambassador to South Africa, "two of the most sensitive postings for a British diplomat".

Early life and family Kilve Court in Somerset was Moberly's maternal grandparents' estate. Moberly was born on 2 September 1928 to Alice Violet (née Cooke-Hurle) and George Hamilton Moberly, the youngest son of the theologian Robert Campbell Moberly. His great grandfather was George Moberly, former headmaster of Winchester College (1835-1866) and later Bishop of Salisbury (1869-1885). Moberly's maternal grandparents, Colonel Joseph and Mrs Cooke-Hurle, were owners of the Kilve Court manor in Kilve, Somerset, which Moberly and his family often visited in his childhood. The property has since been sold to Somerset County Council.

Moberly was his parents' younger of two sons, his brother Michael George Moberly born 3 years earlier. He was educated at Winchester College before completing his national service between 1946 and 1948. Following his national service, he read history at Trinity College, Oxford and graduated in 1951.

Career Having graduated from Oxford, Moberly joined the Foreign Service in 1951. In 1953, he was appointed Third Secretary (Commercial) at the British Embassy in Baghdad, followed by a promotion to Second Secretary in 1956. He was transferred to Prague in 1957, where he served as chargé d'affaires in 1958. He was transferred to the Foreign Office in 1959 and was promoted to First Secretary there the following year. This was followed by a transfer to the embassy in Dakar, Senegal in 1962, where he had his second run of being a chargé d'affaires. During this time, he chaired the Nuclear Suppliers Group and skilfully navigated the Cold War tension between American, French and Russian counterparts. before serving as British Ambassador to South Africa between 1984 and 1987, during which time he was closely involved in British efforts to bring about an end to Apartheid.

Honours Moberly was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 1978 New Year Honours. He was promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the 1986 New Year Honours.

Personal life and death Moberly married Mary Frances, née Penfold, in 1955 and had with her 1 daughter and 2 sons.