Britain sends out first gay ambassador with partner

BRITAIN’S first openly gay ambassador has been sent to Luxembourg with his partner.

James Clark, 41, has moved into the official ambassador’s residence and will attend social functions on the country’s behalf with boyfriend Anthony Stewart.

They are the first homosexual pair to be sent abroad under the Foreign Office’s "partner scheme".

Mr Clark, who has previously served in other diplomatic posts on the Continent, had an audience with the Queen at Buckingham Palace earlier this week.

Mr Stewart was presented alongside the wives of Britain’s ambassadors to Poland, Angola and Iceland.

It marked the first time the Queen officially had "received" - on an equal footing with heterosexual spouses - the gay partner of an ambassador.

A Palace spokesman said: "The event has taken place. The Queen is made aware in advance of who she will see and who will be accompanying them."

The Foreign Office’s partner scheme requires a couple to have been in a relationship for at least 12 months and neither can be married to a third party. Mr Clark divorced his wife about six years ago.