British diplomat (born 1966)For the English cricketer, see Nigel Baker (cricketer).

Nigel Marcus Baker OBE MVO (born 9 September 1966) is a British diplomat, who was formerly Amb*ador to Bolivia and Amb*ador to the Holy See. He was Head of the Latin America department at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from 2016 to 2019, and in August 2020 took up his appointment as British Amb*ador to Slovakia.

Contents

• 1 Early life and education
• 2 Career
• 3 Notes
• 4 References

Early life and education

Baker was born on 9 September 1966. He educated at Dulwich College, an all-boys independent boarding school in London. He studied history at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, graduating with a first cl* honours Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1988: as per tradition, his BA was promoted to a Master of Arts (MA Cantab) in 1992.

Career

Baker with Pope Francis

After a brief period as researcher in the Conservative Research Department he joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 1989. After early overseas postings in Prague and Bratislava he took a research sabbatical in Verona (from 1996–97) studying Italian and European history.

Returning to the FCO, he was Head of the European Defence Section in the Security Policy Department between 1998–2000. He was then *istant Private Secretary to the Prince of Wales 2000–03, Deputy Head of Mission, Havana, 2003–06 and Amb*ador to Bolivia 2007–11 before being appointed to the Holy See. He presented his credentials to Pope Benedict XVI on 9 September 2011. In 2016, he returned to the FCO as Deputy Director for the Americas and Head of the South America Department. He became Deputy Director and Head of the Latin America Department in 2018.

Baker was appointed MVO in 2003 for services to the Prince of Wales, and OBE in 2010.

In 2013 he edited Britain and the Holy See: A Celebration of 1982 and the Wider Relationship, which set out the proceedings of the 2012 Rome Colloquium on the relationship between Britain and the Holy See. Contributors include Professor Eamon Duffy, Professor Judith Champ, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Cardinal Keith Patrick O'Brien, and Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor.

In August 2020 he became Amb*ador to Slovakia, succeeding Andrew Garth.

Notes

References

• BAKER, Nigel Marcus, Who's Who 2012, A & C Black, 2012; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2011, accessed 19 March 2012
• Change of Her Majesty’s Amb*ador to the Holy See, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, 15 April 2011
• Our Amb*ador, British Emb*y to the Holy See
• Nigel Baker is amb*ador to the Holy See, The Telegraph, London, 15 Apr 2011