Millions of drivers will start their holiday journeys from today, with motor agencies warning of a "pre-Christmas panic" on the roads and record levels of traffic.
The post may be seen as glittering and the man as controversial and divisive but beyond those truths, the role of British ambassador to Washington is pivotal and relationship-defining.
Former cabinet minister Penny Mordaunt has revealed she threatened to pull out of a general election TV debate if she couldn't apologise for Rishi Sunak skipping a D-Day event.