[2] Campbell was born on a farm at Rathfriland, near Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland, and was the youngest of four boys.

[4] From 2003 to 2005, he was First Secretary at the British Embassy in Rome and, subsequently, on sabbatical, Senior Policy Director with Amnesty International in London.

In August 2014 in light of attacks in Iraq, Campbell, criticised the Government for its failure to speak out over what he described as ethnic cleansing.

We will work with the new Baghdad Government to raise these matters further.”[6] Airing in February and March 2010, a 3-part documentary by BBC Northern Ireland called Our Man In The Vatican, focused on a year in the life of Ambassador Campbell.

Contributors to the programme included Tony Blair, the Prime Minister during Campbell's role as Private Secretary.