hiː wʌz ˈɛdʒuːkˌeɪɾᵻd æt mˈɔnməθ skˈuːl ænd fɪtswˈɪljəm kˈɑːlɪdʒ, kˈeɪmbɹɪdʒ, wˌɛɹ hiː stˈʌdid fɹˈɛntʃ ænd spˈænɪʃ bᵻtwˌiːn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti sˈɪks ænd nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti ˈeɪt.
He was educated at Monmouth School and Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, where he studied French and Spanish between 1976 and 1978.