David Gore-Booth was born 15 May 1943, the twin son of the late Baron Gore-Booth, GCMG, KCVO; he was educated at Eton College and Christ Church, Oxford (MA Hons). In 1964 he married 1st, Jillian Sarah (née Valpy) (marriage dissolved 1970); one son; 2nd, 1977, Mary Elisabeth Janet (née Muirhead).

Gore-Booth entered the Foreign Office in 1964, and his career included: Middle East Centre for Arab Studies, 1964; Third Secretary, Baghdad [Iraq], 1966; Third, later Second Secretary, Lusaka, 1967; Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 1969; Second Secretary, Tripoli, 1969; FCO, 1971; First Secretary, UK Permanent Representation to European Communities, Brussels [Belgium], 1974; Assistant Head of Financial Relations Department, FCO, 1978; Counsellor, Jedda [Saudi Arabia], 1980; Counsellor and Head of Chancery, UK Mission to UN, New York [United States], 1983; Head of Policy Planning Staff, FCO, 1987; Assistant Under Secretary of State (Middle East), FCO, 1989; Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, 1993; High Commissioner, New Delhi, 1996-98.

His honours include: KCMG 1997 (CMG 1990); KCVO 1997. He died in October 2004.