In the spring of 1981, President
Ronald Reagan appointed Price to be
United States Ambassador to Belgium. He was quickly and unanimously confirmed by the
United States Senate. In 1983, President Reagan recalled Price from his post in
Belgium and appointed him
Ambassador to the United Kingdom. The Senate again confirmed him unanimously, and he held the post until the end of the
Reagan Administration in 1989. As Ambassador to the United Kingdom, he was instrumental in handling the aftermath of the bombing of
Pan Am Flight 103 in 1988 and was the first U.S. government official on the scene in
Lockerbie, Scotland on the night of the bombing. He gave the first indication that it was the worst terrorist attack against the U.S. when he told reporters that 70% of those on board were Americans. Upon returning from his ambassadorial post in April 1989, Price was appointed chairman of the board of
Ameribanc, Inc., and then became president and CEO in 1990. Ameribanc merged with Mercantile Bancorporation in May 1992, and Price became chairman of the board of Mercantile Bank of Kansas City and Mercantile Bank of Kansas. He held this position until retiring in 1996. Price also served as a Director of
British Airways (1989–1996),
Hanson plc (1989–1995), US Industries, Inc. (1995–2004),
The New York Times Company (1989–2002),
Texaco (1989–2001), and
Sprint (1989–1995). In Kansas City, he served on numerous philanthropic boards. He also received numerous awards and honorary degrees for his public service. Price lived in
Indian Wells, California with his wife, Carol Swanson Price, after his retirement. He died on January 12, 2012, in Indian Wells and was buried at
Forest Hill Calvary Cemetery in Kansas City, Missouri. According to Alison Kervin's book
The Monster of Harrods, while Price was serving as ambassador to the UK, his then 16-year-old daughter said she was raped by
Mohamed Al-Fayed, the owner of Harrods. Price reportedly advised her to "keep schtum" (quiet). ==References==