Simon McDonald was born on 9 March 1961, the son of James B. McDonald and Angela (née McDonald). He was educated at De La Salle College Grammar School, Salford and Pembroke College, University of Cambridge (MA; Hon. Fellow, 2016). In 1989, he married Olivia Mary, older daughter of Baron Wright of Richmond, GCMG, having two sons and two daughters. McDonald joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1982, and his diplomatic career included the following; Jedda, 1985; Riyadh, 1985–88; Bonn, 1988–90; FCO, 1990; Private Secretary to Permanent Under-Secretary of State, FCO, 1993–95; First Secretary, Washington, 1995–98; Counsellor, Deputy Head of Mission and Consul-General, Riyadh, 1998–2001; Principal Private Secretary to Foreign Secretary, 2001–03; Ambassador to Israel, 2003–06; Director, Iraq, FCO, 2006–07; Foreign Policy Adviser to Prime Minister and Head, Overseas and Defence Secretariat, later Foreign and Defence Policy Secretariat, Cabinet Office, 2007–10; Ambassador to Germany, 2010–15; Permanent Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Head of the Diplomatic Service, 2015–20.