[citation needed] Chappell was born in Poole[1] and raised in Shapwick, Dorset, and won a scholarship to St Swithun's School, Winchester.
She studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Brasenose College, Oxford, graduating with a BA degree in 1999.
In 2003 she was posted to Baghdad, Iraq, as a member of the Coalition's governance team after the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime.
[7] During her time in Guatemala, Chappell made issues surrounding domestic violence in the country a key part of her mission.
[9] in 2014, Chappell left the FCO and joined Hawthorn Advisors, a London-based communications firm specialising in finance and corporate strategy, as head of international relations.