[2] He passed studentexamen at Sigtunaskolan Humanistiska Läroverket in 1941[3] and received as Candidate of Law degree from Stockholm University College in 1946 and was hired by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs as an attaché the same year.
[2] Wachtmeister's first prominent role within the diplomatic community was as U.N. Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld's personal assistant from 1958 to 1961.
[2] He was appointed Director (Byråchef) in 1962 and he was Deputy Head of the Political Department at the Foreign Ministry in Stockholm from 1965 to 1966.
Wachtmeister was ambassador in Algiers from 1966 to 1967 and served as Director (Utrikesråd) and Head of the Political Department at the Foreign Ministry from 1968 to 1974.
Despite being the Swedish Ambassador during a period of turbulent U.S.-Swedish relations engendered by Swedish opposition to the Vietnam War and soon-to-be Prime Minister Olof Palme's declaration that President Richard Nixon was a war criminal for his decision to bomb Cambodia, Wachtmeister managed to forge good relations with successive U.S. Presidential administrations, and even became the first President Bush's favorite tennis partner.