Christine Isobel "Kirsty" Hayes (born 2 February 1977[citation needed]) is a British diplomat and civil servant.

Hayes was born on 2 February 1977 in Aberdeen, Scotland, to Robert Colin and Rowena Antoinette Paton.

[1] She is distantly related to the noted explorer, archaeologist, diplomat and politician, Sir Austen Henry Layard.

[2] She later completed a Master of Arts (MA) degree in International Studies and Diplomacy at the University of London and a Master of Arts degree in Human Resources Strategy at Kingston Business School, Kingston University.

[1] In September 1999, Hayes joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) as part of their Fast Stream entry programme, thereby starting a career in diplomacy.

[3] In that role, she was responsible for policy on the United Nations, the Commonwealth, the OSCE, and international issues such as war crimes and sanctions.

[1] When she moved to Portugal as the new British ambassador, she transported her horses across Europe and they are now stabled in Cascais.