Reginald Hibbert was born 21 February 1922, the son of Alfred Hibbert, of Sawbridgeworth, Herts; he was educated at Queen Elizabeth’s School, Barnet and Worcester College, Oxford (Honorary Fellow, 1991). In 1949 he married Ann Alun Pugh, daughter of the late Sir Alun Pugh. Hibbert died on 10 October 2002.

After serving with SOE and the 4th Hussars in Albania and Italy, 1943-45, Hibbert entered the Foreign Service in 1946. He served: Bucharest [Romania], Vienna [Austria], Guatemala, Ankara [Turkey], Brussels [Belgium]; Chargé d’Affaires, Ulan Bator [Mongolia], 1964-66; Research Fellow, Leeds University, 1966-67; Political Adviser’s Office, Singapore, 1967-69; Political Adviser to Commander-in-Chief Far East, 1970-71; Minister, Bonn [Germany], 1972-75; Assistant Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 1975-76; Deputy Under-Secretary of State, FCO, 1976-79; Ambassador to France, 1979-82.

He was awarded the GCMG in 1982 (KCMG 1979; CMG 1966).