Christopher Norman Russell Prentice CMG (born 5 September 1954) is the HM British Ambassador to Italy, he took up his appointment in January 2011.[1]
Prentice has been a British diplomat since 1977. His previous post was British Ambassador to Iraq (officially Her Majesty's Ambassador to the Republic of Iraq).[2] His previous appointment from 2002 to 2006 was as British Ambassador to Jordan.
Prentice speaks both Arabic and Magyar (Hungarian).
Born in The Borough, London, Prentice is a former cricketer who played for Oxford University.[3]
He is married to Marie-Josephine (Nina) and has two sons and two daughters. A daughter Helen, a doctor, married his predecessor's nephew Mark Asquith, Viscount Asquith in May 2008 in Ashbury, Oxfordshire.
Prentice was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 2009 Birthday Honours.[4]
On January 6, 2010, Prentice gave evidence to the Iraq Inquiry.[5]
From March/April 2011 Prentice led the UK's diplomatic team in Libya which is liaising closely with the opposition in Benghazi.[6]