Kunwar Natwar Singh was Singh was born on 16 May 1931 into an aristocratic Jat family of Bharatpur in Rajasthan. He went to some of the best educational institutions including Scindia School, Gwalior, Mayo College and St. Stephen's College, Delhi. He also studied at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge University and was a visiting scholar for sometime at Peking University, China.
Natwar Singh is married to Heminder Kaur, sister of Amarinder Singh, former Chief Minister of Punjab and titular Maharaja of Patiala.
Natwar Singh started off his career as a diplomat as he joined Indian Foreign Service in 1953. He served as diplomat for more than three decades and served in different positions in different countries including China and USA. He also worked with the UNICEF.