Ronald, or Robin Byatt was born 14 Nov 1930, son of Sir Horace Byatt, GCMG and Olga Margaret Campbell, MBE. He was educated at Gordonstoun, New College, University of Oxford, and later at King’s College, University of Cambridge. In 1954 he married Ann Brereton Sharpe, daughter of C. B. Sharpe, having one son and one daughter.

After serving in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, 1949-50, Byatt worked in the Colonial Service in Nyasaland [later Malawi], 1955-58, before moving to the Foreign (now Diplomatic) Service in 1959. His diplomatic career included the following posts; Foreign Office, 1959; Havana [Cuba], 1961-63; FO, 1963-66; UK Mission to United Nations, New York [United States], 1966; Kampala [Uganda], 1970; Head of Rhodesia Department, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 1972-75; Visiting Fellow, Glasgow University, 1975-76; Rhodesia Conference, Geneva [Switzerland], 1976; Counsellor and Head of Chancery, UK Mission to United Nations, New York, 1977-79; Assistant Under Secretary of State, FCO, 1979-80; High Commissioner in Zimbabwe, 1980-83; Member of Directing Staff, Royal College of Defence Studies, 1983-84; Ambassador to Morocco, 1985-87; High Commissioner in New Zealand and concurrently to Western Samoa [now Samoa] and Governor (non-resident), Pitcairn Islands, 1987-90. Byatt died on 30 November 2019.