David Miers was born 10 January 1937, son of Colonel R. D. M. C. Miers, and Honor (née Bucknill). In 1966 he married Imelda Maria Emilia, daughter of Jean-Baptiste Wouters, of Huizingen, Belgium, having two sons and one daughter.

Miers entered the Foreign Office in 1961 and his career included the following posts: Reporting Officer United Nations General Assembly 16 and United Nations Department, FO, 1961-63; Tokyo [Japan], 1963; Vientiane [Laos], 1966; Private Secretary to Minister of State, Foreign Office, 1968; Paris [France], 1972; Assistant in Energy Department, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 1975-76; Counsellor, Tehran [Iran], 1977-79; Head of the Middle Eastern Department, FCO, 1980-83; Ambassador to Lebanon, 1983-85; Assistant Under-Secretary of State for Middle East, FCO, 1986-89; Ambassador to Greece, 1989-93; Ambassador to the Netherlands, 1993-96.