Embassy of the United States, London

Last updated

Embassy of the United States, London
US Embassy in London Seal.png
U.S. Embassy, London - 2022-04-30.jpg
US Embassy in Nine Elms, London
Embassy of the United States, London
Location33 Nine Elms Lane, London, SW11 7US
Coordinates 51°28′57″N0°07′54″W / 51.4826°N 0.1317°W / 51.4826; -0.1317
Opened1960;64 years ago (1960)
Nine Elms 2018;6 years ago (2018)
Ambassador Jane Hartley (since 2022)
Website uk.usembassy.gov

The Embassy of the United States of America in London is the diplomatic mission of the United States in the United Kingdom. [1] Its office is located in Nine Elms and is the largest American embassy in Western Europe [2] and the focal point for events relating to the United States held in the United Kingdom.

Contents

John Adams was the first minister to open an American legation in London, in 1785. The embassy building in Nine Elms overlooks the River Thames and has been open to the public since 13 December 2017, and was formally opened in January 2018. [3] [4] [5] For much of the 20th century and into the 21st, the chancery was in Grosvenor Square, Westminster, London.

Since 1955, Winfield House in Regent's Park has served as the ambassador's official residence.

History

The former embassy chancery in 2014 The US Embassy (geograph 4111175).jpg
The former embassy chancery in 2014

The American legation in London was first situated in Great Cumberland Place, later moving to Piccadilly, 98 Portland Place (1863–1866), [6] and 123 Victoria Street in Westminster (1883–1893). The legation was upgraded to an embassy in 1893 and remained at Victoria Street until 1912, when it moved to 4 Grosvenor Gardens. [7]

In 1938, the embassy was moved to 1 Grosvenor Square (which later housed part of the Canadian High Commission). During this time, Grosvenor Square began to accommodate several U.S. government offices, including the headquarters of Supreme Allied Commander, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, and the European headquarters of the United States Navy. Following World War II, the Duke of Westminster donated land for a memorial to wartime President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Several additional statues and memorials related to the American and British relationship remain in Grosvenor Square.

The next chancery, also on Grosvenor Square, was designed by Finnish American modernist architect Eero Saarinen and constructed in the late 1950s, opening in 1960. The United States paid only a symbolic peppercorn rent to the Duke of Westminster for use of the land[ citation needed ]. [8] In response to an American offer to buy the site outright, the duke's trustee requested the return of ancestral lands confiscated following the American Revolutionary War, namely the city of Miami. [8] The chancery had nine storeys, three of which are below ground. A large gilded aluminum bald eagle by Theodore Roszak, [9] with a wingspan of over 11 metres (35 feet), is situated on the roof of the Chancery Building, making it a recognizable London landmark. [10] In October 2009, the building was granted Grade II listed status. [11] [12] The building served as the chancery until 2017, and has been described as a modernist classic and architectural gem. [13] The building will reopen in 2025 after substantial interior alterations as The Chancery Rosewood, a luxury hotel. [14]

Demonstrations

In March 1968, a crowd of some 10,000 demonstrated at Trafalgar Square against US involvement in the Vietnam War, before marching to Grosvenor Square. The Metropolitan Police had attempted to cordon off part of the square nearest to the embassy and there was violence as the crowd broke through the police line. Police horses were used to regain control. 200 demonstrators were arrested and 50 people needed hospital treatment including 25 police officers, one of them with a serious spinal injury. [15] In October of the same year, during a demonstration organised by the Vietnam Solidarity Campaign, a splinter group of 6,000 demonstrators returned to the square. A thousand police officers formed a cordon that the protesters failed to breach and remained relatively peaceful until the crowd began to disperse when there was disorder in the neighbouring streets. [16]

Thousands of protesters marched on the embassy as part of a worldwide anti-racism demonstration following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. [17] [18] [19]

On November 6, 2024, the environmental activist group Just Stop Oil vandalised the compound wall of the embassy with orange paint in response to Donald Trump winning the 2024 United States presidential election. Two men were arrested by the Metropolitan Police in response to the incident. [20]

Security concerns

Security at the Grosvenor Square embassy was tightened in the 1980s and 1990s following successive terrorist attacks on U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide. It was further increased after the September 11 attacks in 2001. A massive security operation at the embassy saw one side of Grosvenor Square closed to public access by car, and armed roadblocks were stationed outside the building. On 29 August 2002, Kerim Chatty, a Swedish citizen of Tunisian descent, was arrested at Stockholm-Västerås Airport trying to board a Ryanair Flight 685 destined for London Stansted Airport with a loaded gun in his luggage. Anonymous intelligence sources cited in the media claimed that the man was planning to hijack the aircraft and crash it into the United States embassy in London, using the rooftop eagle to identify it from the air. Sweden's Security Service, Säpo, denied the claims and called the reports "false information". [21] The man was subsequently cleared of all terrorism-related charges. [22]

The security threat against the embassy prompted the U.S. government to consider moving the embassy. Several British media outlets reported that the U.S. government had wished to use Kensington Palace as their embassy, which allegedly had been vetoed by Queen Elizabeth II, as several members of the British Royal Family have their residences there. The embassy "strenuously denied" the reports, and a spokesman for Buckingham Palace reported that no formal request had been made. [23] Another possible option was Chelsea Barracks, for which the U.S. Embassy made an unsuccessful bid in February 2007. [24]

New building

American Embassy nearing completion of construction, as seen from Pimlico, across the River Thames New Embassy of the United States of America in Battersea Nine Elms, London, seen from Pimlico (cropped).jpg
American Embassy nearing completion of construction, as seen from Pimlico, across the River Thames

On 8 October 2008, the embassy announced a conditional agreement with the real estate developer Ballymore Group to purchase property for a new embassy site on the South Bank of the River Thames in the Nine Elms area of the London Borough of Wandsworth. [25] The site lies within the Vauxhall/Nine Elms/Battersea Opportunity Area as set out in the London Plan. The proposed plan would only go forward if approved by the United States Congress and by the local planning authority. [26] The Northern line extension to Battersea includes new stations at Battersea and Nine Elms, combined with major local development. The United States Department of State announced in January 2009 that it was choosing among nine architectural firms, all "modern" and "upmarket", to replace the ageing embassy headquarters. [27] In March 2009, the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations announced that four architectural firms had been selected for the final phase of the design competition. [27] By law, the architect for a U.S. embassy must be an American firm with "numerous security clearances". [27]

View of the US Embassy building from Ponton Road with the Embassy Gardens Sky Pool in the background Cmglee London US Embassy Sky Pool.jpg
View of the US Embassy building from Ponton Road with the Embassy Gardens Sky Pool in the background

In November 2009, the U.S. government conditionally agreed to sell the lease of the Grosvenor Square Chancery Building to Qatari real-estate investment firm Qatari Diar, which in 2007 purchased Chelsea Barracks. [28] Though the price was undisclosed, the lease's worth was estimated at £500 million in July 2000. [29] The development value of the property was reduced when the building was given Grade II listed status, requiring developers to maintain its current design. The building is now one of Mayfair's 238 listed buildings and monuments. [30] [31] In 2016, plans were approved for the conversion of the building into a hotel. [32]

View of the US embassy building from Nine Elms Lane United States Embassy, London (cropped).png
View of the US embassy building from Nine Elms Lane

On 23 February 2010, the U.S. government announced that a team led by the firm of KieranTimberlake had won the competition to design the new embassy building and surrounding green spaces. [33] The winning design resembles a crystalline cube, with a semi-circular pond on one side (called a "moat" by The Times ) [34] and surrounded by extensive public green spaces [35] and the Embassy Gardens housing development.

Ground was broken on 13 November 2013, and the building opened to the public on 13 December 2017. [36] [37] US President Donald Trump had been expected to visit in February 2018 to undertake the official opening of the new embassy but, in January 2018, announced he would not make the trip. Trump publicly criticized the cost of the new embassy and its location, as well as the apparent price received for the sale of the lease of the building in Grosvenor Square, blaming the administration of his predecessor, Barack Obama, for making what he referred to as a "bad deal". [38] However, the decision to move the embassy to its new location was made before the Obama administration. [39]

Mission leaders

Ambassador

Jane Hartley was sworn in as the current United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom on 27 May 2022. [40] Winfield House in Regent's Park has been the official residence of the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom since 1955.

Other diplomatic staff

Embassy sections

There are also American consulates general in Belfast and Edinburgh, a Welsh Affairs Office in Cardiff, and a contact centre in Glasgow.

Previous embassy chancery locations

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woody Johnson</span> American businessman and diplomat (born 1947)

Robert Wood Johnson IV is an American businessman who is co-owner of the New York Jets and was formerly the United States ambassador to the United Kingdom from 2017 to 2021. He is a great-grandson of Robert Wood Johnson I, and an heir to the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical fortune.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grosvenor Square</span> Square in Mayfair, London, England

Grosvenor Square is a large garden square in the Mayfair district of Westminster, Greater London. It is the centrepiece of the Mayfair property of the Duke of Westminster, and takes its name from the duke's surname "Grosvenor". It was developed for fashionable residences in the 18th century. In the 20th it had an American and Canadian diplomatic presence, and currently is mixed use, commercial.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington, D.C.</span> British sovereigns diplomatic mission to the United States of America

The British Embassy, Washington D.C. is the British sovereign's diplomatic mission to the United States of America, representing the interests of the United Kingdom and British Government. It is located at 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW in Washington, D.C. The embassy compound includes the chancery offices, as well as the British Ambassador's residence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Embassy of France, Washington, D.C.</span> Diplomatic mission to the United States

The Embassy of France in Washington, D.C., is the French diplomatic mission to the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nine Elms</span> Human settlement in England

Nine Elms is an area of south-west London, England, within the London Borough of Wandsworth, with some parts including the tube station extending to the London Borough of Lambeth. It lies on the River Thames, with Battersea to the west, South Lambeth to the south and Vauxhall to the east. Across the Thames is Pimlico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Embassy of Germany, Washington, D.C.</span> Diplomatic mission

The Embassy of Germany in Washington, D.C. is the Federal Republic of Germany's diplomatic mission to the United States. Its chancery, designed by Egon Eiermann and opened in 1964, is located in northwest Washington, D.C. As of August 2023, the German ambassador to the United States is Andreas Michaelis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Embassy of the United States, Athens</span> Diplomat Building

The Embassy of the United States in Athens is the embassy of the United States in Greece, in the capital city of Athens. The embassy is charged with diplomacy and Greece–United States relations. The United States Ambassador to Greece is the head of mission of the United States to Greece.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Embassy of the United States, Moscow</span> Diplomatic mission of the United States of America in the Russian Federation

The Embassy of the United States of America in Moscow is the diplomatic mission of the United States of America in the Russian Federation. The current embassy compound is in the Presnensky District of Moscow, across the street from the White House and near the Moscow Zoo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew Barzun</span> American diplomat

Matthew Winthrop Barzun is an American businessman, diplomat and political fundraiser who served as the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom. He is a business executive who is known for his work with CNET Networks and for his fundraising work on Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign. He served as United States Ambassador to Sweden from 2009 to 2011. He was selected by President Barack Obama as National Finance Chair for the president's 2012 re-election campaign. He is author of The Power of Giving Away Power from Optimism Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Embassy of the United States, Saigon</span> U.S. embassy in Saigon, South Vietnam during the Vietnam War; now demolished

The United States Embassy in Saigon was first established in June 1952, and moved into a new building in 1967 and eventually closed in 1975. The embassy was the scene of a number of significant events of the Vietnam War, most notably the Viet Cong attack during the Tet Offensive which helped turn American public opinion against the war, and the helicopter evacuation during the Fall of Saigon after which the embassy closed permanently.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Embassy of Indonesia, London</span> Diplomatic mission

The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in London is the diplomatic mission of Indonesia in the United Kingdom and concurrently accredited to Ireland. From shortly after independence until the end of February 2017, the embassy was located at 38 Grosvenor Square, a leasehold building in Mayfair, close to the location of the American embassy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Embassy of China, London</span> Diplomatic mission of China to the UK

The Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the diplomatic mission of China in the United Kingdom, located in London. Established in 1877 as the Chinese Legation, the London mission was China's first permanent overseas diplomatic mission. It has served as the diplomatic mission of the Manchu Qing Empire, the Republic of China, and the People's Republic of China. It was the location of the Qing Empire's detention of Sun Yat-sen, an important episode in the Chinese revolution of 1911. It remains today the focal point for events relating to China held in the United Kingdom, including celebrations in 2012 to commemorate 40 years of diplomatic relations between the UK and the People's Republic of China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Embassy of Austria, London</span> Austrian Embassy in London

The Embassy of Austria in London is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of Austria in the United Kingdom. The embassy is located at 18 Belgrave Mews West in the Belgravia area of London, and the residence of the ambassador is located at 18 Belgrave Square.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Embassy of the United States, Dublin</span> Diplomatic mission of the United States of America to the Republic of Ireland

The Embassy of the United States of America in Dublin is the diplomatic mission of the United States of America to Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Embassy of the United States, New Delhi</span> Diplomatic mission of the United States in India

The Embassy of the United States of America in New Delhi is the diplomatic mission of the United States in the Republic of India. The embassy is headed by the U.S. Ambassador to India. The embassy complex is situated on a 28-acre plot of land in Chanakyapuri, the diplomatic enclave of New Delhi, where most of the embassies are located. The embassy is also accredited to Bhutan with whom the United States maintains no formal relations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lewis Lukens</span> American diplomat

Lewis Alan Lukens is a retired American diplomat who served as the U.S. Ambassador to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau. His final assignment was as Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in London.

The Embassy of Sweden in Washington, D.C., is Sweden's diplomatic mission in the United States. The Swedish Embassy in Washington, D.C., is one of Sweden's largest diplomatic missions with more than fifty employees. Since 2023, the ambassador has been Urban Ahlin. Sweden also has a Consulate General in New York City and in San Francisco and a number of Honorary Consulates General in the United States. Since 2006, the chancery is located in the House of Sweden building on the Potomac River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Embassy of the United States, Jerusalem</span> Diplomatic mission of the United States in Israel

The Embassy of the United States of America in Jerusalem is the diplomatic mission of the United States of America to the State of Israel. It is located in Talpiot, a neighborhood in southeastern Jerusalem. In mid-October 2018, Mike Pompeo, the Secretary of State under the Trump administration, declared that the new embassy would be merging with the Consulate General, through which the United States had maintained diplomatic relations with the Palestinian Authority. Currently, all diplomacy between the United States and the Palestinians is conducted through the "Office of Palestine Affairs" inside of the American embassy for Israel.

References

  1. ↑ "The London Diplomatic List" (PDF). 14 December 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 December 2013.
  2. ↑ "US embassy moving to south London". BBC News . 2 October 2008. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
  3. ↑ McKenzie, Sheila (16 January 2018). "Billion dollar US embassy opens in London". CNN . Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  4. ↑ "Policy & History". U.S. Embassy & Consulates in the United Kingdom.
  5. ↑ "Trump ditches UK trip citing Obama's 'bad' embassy deal". Al Jazeera.
  6. ↑ Derek Sumeray and John Sheppard, London Plaques (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2011; ISBN   0747809402), p. 53.
  7. ↑ A. Holmes and J. Rofe, The Embassy in Grosvenor Square: American Ambassadors to the United Kingdom, 1938–2008 (Springer, 2016; ISBN   1137295570), p. 2.
  8. 1 2 Thomas, Daniel (12 January 2018). "Bad deal! Trump's nose for property piques London" . Financial Times . Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  9. ↑ "The American Embassy London Chancery Building". US Embassy and Consulates in the United Kingdom. 30 January 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  10. ↑ "US embassy moving to south London". BBC News. 2 October 2008. Retrieved 4 November 2009.
  11. ↑ Historic England. "United States of America Embassy (Grade II) (1393496)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  12. ↑ Sherwin, Adam (23 October 2009). "US sale plan spoilt as its London embassy is listed". The Times . London. Retrieved 4 November 2009.[ dead link ](subscription required)
  13. ↑ T.A. (26 September 2017). "The American embassy building in London is a modernist classic". The Economist .
  14. ↑ "The Chancery Rosewood | Rosewood Hotels & Resorts".
  15. ↑ "On This Day – 17 March – 1968: Anti-Vietnam demo turns violent". BBC News. 2008. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  16. ↑ "On This Day – 17 March – 1968: Police clash with anti-war protesters". BBC News. 2008. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  17. ↑ "George Floyd death: Thousands gather outside US embassy in anti-racism protest". Sky News.
  18. ↑ Topping, Alexandra; Sabbagh, Dan; Carrell, Severin (7 June 2020). "Mass anti-racism protests take place in cities across the UK". The Guardian.
  19. ↑ "Thousands turn out for UK anti-racism protests". BBC News. 7 June 2020.
  20. ↑ "Climate activists spray-paint US embassy in London after Trump election win". Reuters. 6 November 2024.
  21. ↑ Whitaker, Raymond; Hetland, Jarle; Carrell, Severin (1 September 2002). "Hijack suspect had flight training in US". The Independent . London. Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 27 December 2006.
  22. ↑ "Sweden drops hijack inquiry". BBC News. 30 October 2002. Retrieved 27 December 2006.
  23. ↑ "US 'eyed royal palace'". BBC News. 17 August 2003. Retrieved 4 November 2009.
  24. ↑ "US Embassy bids for Chelsea Barracks". The Times. 21 February 2007. Archived from the original on 23 February 2007. Retrieved 27 May 2011.
  25. ↑ Lee, Matthew (2 January 2009). "US looks upscale for London embassy design". Washington: Fox News Channel. Associated Press . Retrieved 4 November 2009.[ permanent dead link ]
  26. ↑ "U.S. Takes First Steps Toward Embassy Relocation" (Press release). Embassy of the United States in London. 2 October 2008. Archived from the original on 27 January 2010. Retrieved 4 November 2009.
  27. 1 2 3 "Department of State Selects Final Architectural Firms To Prepare Designs for the New London Embassy" (Press release). Embassy of the United States in London. 10 March 2009. Archived from the original on 3 August 2009. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
  28. ↑ O'Connor, Rebecca (3 November 2009). "Qataris buy US Embassy building in London". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
  29. ↑ Bourke, Chris (3 November 2009). "U.S. Embassy Building in London Sold to Qatari Diar". Bloomberg . Retrieved 3 November 2009.
  30. ↑ "National Heritage List". English Heritage. Archived from the original on 4 January 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  31. ↑ "US embassy sold to Qatari group". BBC News. 3 November 2009. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
  32. ↑ Farrell, Sean (16 November 2016). "Qatar wins approval to turn US embassy in London into hotel". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  33. ↑ Kennicott, Philip (24 February 2010). "KieranTimberlake chosen to build 'modern, open' U.S. Embassy in London". The Washington Post . Retrieved 1 May 2010.
  34. ↑ Philp, Catherine (24 February 2010). "US diplomats add a moat to their expenses at $1bn London embassy". Times Online. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  35. ↑ "New U.S. Embassy in London". KieranTimberlake ISO. 23 February 2010. Archived from the original on 18 November 2010. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
  36. ↑ "U.S. Mission Breaks Ground for New Embassy in London". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 1 September 2014.
  37. ↑ Gray, Melissa (3 November 2009). "Qatari firm buys U.S. Embassy building in London". CNN. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
  38. ↑ "Donald Trump cancels February visit to UK". BBC News. 12 January 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  39. ↑ "Skeptics rebuttal of Trump claims". skeptics.stackexchange.com. 12 January 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  40. ↑ "Ambassador". U.S. Embassy & Consulates in the United Kingdom. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.