Richard Dales was born 26th August 1942, son of Major Kenneth Richard Frank Dales TD and Olwen Mary Dale. He was educated at Chigwell School and St Catharine’s College, University of Cambridge (BA 1964), and in 1966 married Elizabeth Margaret Martin, having one son and one daughter.

Dales entered the Foreign Office in 1964, and in his diplomatic career served in the following posts: 3rd Secretary, Yaoundé, Cameroon, 1965-67; Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 1968-70; 2nd Secretary, later 1st Secretary, Copenhagen [Denmark], 1970-73; FCO, 1973; Assistant Private Secretary to Foreign Secretary, 1974-77; 1st Secretary, Head of Chancery and Consul, Sofia, Bulgaria, 1977-81; FCO, 1981; Counsellor and Head of Chancery, Copenhagen, 1982-86; Deputy High Commissioner, Harare, 1986-89; Head of Southern Africa, later Central and Southern Africa, Department, FCO, 1989-91; Resident Chairman (FCO), Civil Service Selection Board, 1991-92; High Commissioner, Zimbabwe, 1992-95; Assistant Under- Secretary of State, later Director, Africa and Commonwealth, FCO, 1995-98; Ambassador to Norway, 1998-2002.