Embassy of the United Kingdom, The Hague

British Embassy, The Hague
The Embassy building in The Hague
Location The Hague, Netherlands
AddressLange Voorhout 10,
2514 ED The Hague,
Netherlands
Coordinates52°4′56″N 4°18′38″E / 52.08222°N 4.31056°E / 52.08222; 4.31056
AmbassadorChris Rampling
WebsiteBritish Embassy, The Hague

The Embassy of the United Kingdom in The Hague is the chief diplomatic mission of the United Kingdom in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The embassy is located on one of the most famous streets in the Netherlands, Lange Voorhout, in the Centrum. The current British Ambassador to the Netherlands is Joanna Roper.[1]

Since the formation in 1997 of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which is located in The Hague, the British Ambassador to the Netherlands has also been the UK's Permanent Representative to the OPCW.[2]

Until 2020, the UK maintained a British consulate general in Amsterdam, after which the consular services provided moved permanently to The Hague.[3] The embassy and consulate general also represent the British Overseas Territories in the Netherlands.

History

The British diplomatic mission in The Hague was established at 12 Hooge Westeinde in 1861, leased by minister Sir Andrew Buchanan and functioned as both the offices and residence of the legation. The mission was elevated to embassy status in 1919.[4]

In 1979, the British ambassador Sir Richard Sykes and a Dutch embassy employee, Karel Straub, were assassinated in an Irish Republican Army attack outside the residence.[5][6]

Due to structural issues and maintenance costs, the embassy vacated Hooge Westeinde in 1984. A new ambassadorial residence was acquired at 1 Plein 1813, originally built in 1863 for Dutch finance minister Agnites Vrolik, and it became the official residence later that year.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ "British Embassy The Hague". FCO.gov.uk. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  2. ^ Chemical Weapons team – British Embassy The Hague
  3. ^ "British Consulate General Amsterdam moves to The Hague". GOV.UK. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
  4. ^ a b Bertram, Mark (2016-02-03). "Netherlands: The Hague". Room for Diplomacy. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
  5. ^ Downie Jr., Leonard (23 March 1979). "British Envoy To Netherlands Shot to Death". The Washington Post.
  6. ^ McKittrick, David, ed. (2008). Lost lives: the stories of the men, women, and children who died as a result of the Northern Ireland troubles ([Revised and updated ed.], reprinted ed.). Edinburgh: Mainstream. ISBN 978-1-84018-504-1.