David Reddaway was born 26 April 1953, the son of George Frank Norman Reddaway, CBE and Jean Reddaway, OBE (née Brett). He was educated at Oundle School (Scholar.) and Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge (Exhibitioner; MA History). In 1981 he married (1st), Roshan Taliyeh Firouz (marriage dissolved 2019), having two sons and one daughter; and (2nd), 2020, Gabrielle O’Driscoll.

Reddaway joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1975 and his diplomatic career included: language student, SOAS, 1976 and Iran, 1977; Tehran: Third Secretary, later Second Secretary (Commercial), 1977–78; Second Secretary. later First Secretary (Chancery), 1978–80; First Secretary: (Chancery), Madrid [Spain], 1980–84; FCO, 1985–86; Private Secretary to Minister of State, 1986–88; (Chancery), New Delhi [India], 1988–90; Chargé d’Affaires, Tehran, 1990–93 (Counsellor, 1991); Minister, Buenos Aires [Argentina], 1993–97; Head, Southern European Department, FCO, 1997–99; Director, Public Services, FCO, 1999–2001; UK Special Representative for Afghanistan, 2002; Visiting Fellow, Harvard University, 2002–03; High Commissioner, Canada, 2003–06; Ambassador: to Ireland, 2006–09; to Turkey, 2009–14.