President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced he was nominating prominent Democratic fundraiser Jane Hartley to serve as ambassador to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, a plum overseas posting that comes with the 35-bedroom Winfield House set in 12 acres in the middle of London.
If she’s confirmed by Senate, she would be Britain’s first female ambassador in 45 years.
Hartley, 71, served as ambassador to France during the Obama presidency and was a major donor to Barack Obama.
Biden failed to take the post, which was of vital diplomatic significance given long-standing ties between the United States & the United Kingdom.
At least two candidates turned down the ambassadorship to the Court of St. James, including former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, CNN reported.
The president last year also had considered the-now late former secretary of state Colin Powell – there has never been a black U.S. ambassador to Britain and the historic nature of the pick would have come after Meghan Markle married into the British royal family.
Washington Post earlier reported that the White House also had conversations with career Foreign Service officers.
Jane Hartley, a prominent Democratic fundraiser was appointed Ambassador to Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom by President Biden.
Jane Hartley was Ambassador to France for President Barack Obama.
Instead on Wednesday he named Hartley, a bundler to his campaign who supported him from the early days during the crowded Democratic primary in 2020.
Presidents are most proud to be rewarded for their appointment to the UK. The ambassador lives in the Winfield House in Regent’s Park, with 35 bedrooms.
It was constructed in 1936 for Barbara Woolworth Hutton, an American heiress. Hutton then donated the house to the United States. The ambassador has lived there since 1955.
Its 12 acre garden is second to Buckingham Palace’s Queen’s Garden. Marine One can land there, and inside the glittering reception rooms an ambassador’s invitation becomes a prize in London’s social life.
It’s not that invitations are scarce for ambassadors: The most glamorous moment is when the ambassador presents his or her credentials at Buckingham Palace. He/she rides in a carriage with a tails-covered top and a top hat.
Because of its many benefits, ambassadorships have been utilized by the presidents both sides to reward supporters for their loyalty or fundraising.
Hartley can be both a donor or someone who has diplomatic experience.
Her tenure as ambassador to France coincided with the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris in 2015 and she worked with Washington to handle diplomatic assistance.
In recognition of her contributions, she was awarded the Legion of Honor by the President of France.
She is married to investment banker and Evercore Partners CEO Ralph Schlosstein. Schloßtein’s estimated worth is $170 Million. The couple are a powerful pair in the finance world.
Jane Hartley (then Ambassador to France) and Jessica Alba (left), at Christian Dior’s March 2016 Paris Fashion Week show.
Hartley, when French Ambassador, with author Tom Brokaw, Actor Tom Hanks, Legion of Honor’s Grand Chancellor General Jean-Louis Georgelin and Doctor Gordon ‘Nick’ Mueller at an event in Paris in May 2016
Hartley as French Ambassador, actor Michael Keaton and Fleur Pelin, French Minister of Culture and Communication, January 2016.
, U.S. Ambassador to France Jane Hartley, Defense Secretary Ash Carter, and French Minister of Defense Jean-Yves Le Drian in the Oval Office as President Barack Obama meets with President Francois Hollande of France in November 2015
A 35-bedroom home that includes the UK Ambassador Post
Ambassador to UK is one the most prestigious positions and includes a 35-room neogeorgian mansion located in London’s Regent Park.
The home, which boasts 12.5 acres in prime central London makes it one of the most valuable in London.
Marine One will be able to land at the garden. Meanwhile, inside glittering reception areas make an invitation by Ambassador a prize in London’s social landscape.
It was constructed in 1936 for Barbara Woolworth Hutton, an American heiress. Hutton then donated the house to the United States. It has been the ambassador’s residence since 1955.
Donald Trump, a former President of the United States, was so infatuated with Winfield House, he tried to get the Queen to renew the Crown Estate lease for the residence under a U.S.–U.K. trade arrangement.
The U.S. ambassador’s residence is Winfield House. It boasts 12.5 acres of gardens, making it the 2nd largest garden in central London after Buckingham Palace.
Winfield House, located in central London’s Regents Park is in prime position
Winfield House’s dining room as prepared for President Trump’s 2019 State Visit
In May 2011, President Barack Obama offered a toast at Queen Elizabeth II’s Winfield House dinner. Tom Hanks, actor next to The Queen, is also present.
An media preview of the June 2019 dinner hosted by President Donald Trump (and first lady Melania Trump) at Winfield House for Prince Charles
Hartley worked in the White House between 1978 and 1980 when Jimmy Carter was president. Hartley began her career in the TV industry as an executive and then spent 20 years working for the Observatory Group, an economic consulting company.
Biden as Vice President was the one that swore in her as Ambassador to France.
She was in that job when three coordinated teams of Islamic State gunmen and suicide bombers carried out a wave of attacks across Paris that killed 130 people in November 2015.
Ambassador, she requested that the American artist Jeff Koons create a work of art in tribute to the victims.
This sculpture was inspired partly by Statue of Liberty. However, Lady Liberty is holding a torch while the Statue of Liberty hand holds it. Koons’s large-scale white hand grasps multi-coloured balloons and in the middle is a bouquet of multicolored tulips.
Bouquet-of-Tillips was unveiled at the Champs elysees park in 2019. There was much criticism. This creation quickly gained the nickname “tulips discord”.
The Senate must confirm Hartley, and all other Ambassadors Biden mentioned on Wednesday.
The White House also announced Biden would nominate major donor Alan Leventhal to serve as his envoy to Denmark; longtime diplomat and attorney Elizabeth Bagley to serve as ambassador to Brazil; and career senior foreign service officer Alexander Laskaris to serve in Chad.
Biden’s Ambassador Nominees so far are Campaign Bundlers. This is a standard practice of presidents from both parties, who often use overseas postings as a way to reward major donors.
Biden claimed that no ambassadors could be hired if they gave to him campaign when he was running as president.
He stated that he would appoint only the most qualified people in 2019, He stated that he would appoint the best people possible based only on their contributions.
Francois Hollande, French president (R), and Jane Hartley, U.S. ambassador in France (L) react to her award of the Legion of Honour (Legion d’Honneur). This was in Paris on January 2017.
One third of the Ambassador Picks for President Biden were donors to his Campaign.
About 44% of Donald Trump´s ambassadorial appointments were political appointees, compared with 31% for Barack Obama and 32% for George W. Bush, according to the American Foreign Service Association.
An administration official said that Biden hopes keep the number of political appointments at around 30% for ambassador picks.
Bagley is an attorney and held diplomat positions during the Clinton and Obama administrations. She was also a Senior Advisor to Secretary of State John Kerry and Hillary Clinton. During the Clinton administration, she was U.S. Ambassador to Portugal.
Laskaris currently works as a senior advisor in the Bureau of African Affairs of the State Department. His duties include deputy to the Commander at United States Africa Command and ambassador to Guinea. He also serves as the deputy chief mission officer at U.S. Embassy Burundi.
Biden is being criticized for his slow progress in nominating ambassadors. The Wednesday nominations of his nominees come just one year before the Oval Office’s first anniversary.