John Moberly was born on 27 May 1925, the son of Sir Walter Moberly, GBE, KCB, DSO. He was educated at Winchester College and Magdalen College, University of Oxford, and in 1959 married Patience, daughter of Major Sir Richard George Proby, MC; they had two sons and one daughter.

After serving during the war in the Royal Navy, from 1943 to 1947 (being mentioned in despatches), Moberly entered the Diplomatic Service in 1950, and his career included the following posts: Political Officer, Kuwait (1954-56); Political Agent, Doha [Qatar] (1959-62); First Secretary, Athens [Greece] (1962-66); Counsellor, Washington [United States] (1969-73); Director, Middle East Centre for Arab Studies, (1973-75); Ambassador to Jordan (1975-79); Assistant Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (1979-82); Ambassador to Iraq (1982-85); Consultant, then Associate Fellow, Middle East Programme, Royal Institute of International Affairs (1986-2003). He died in September 2004.