List of high commissioners of Sri Lanka to the United Kingdom

Last updated

High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to the United Kingdom
Emblem of Sri Lanka.svg
Emblem of Sri Lanka
Incumbent
Nimal Senadheera
since 16 June 2025
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Reports to Minister of Foreign Affairs
Seat Sri Lankan High Commission,
13 Hyde Park Gardens, London, United Kingdom
NominatorThe president of Sri Lanka
Term length No fixed term
Inaugural holderSir Claude Corea
(As Representative of the Government of Ceylon)
Formation1946;79 years ago (1946)
Website srilankahc.uk

The Sri Lankan high commissioner to the United Kingdom is the Sri Lankan envoy to United Kingdom. Countries belonging to the Commonwealth of Nations typically exchange high commissioners, rather than ambassadors. Though there are a few technical differences (for instance, whereas ambassadors present their diplomatic credentials to the host country's head of state, high commissioners are accredited to the head of government), they are in practice one and the same office. The Sri Lankan high commissioner to the United Kingdom is concurrently accredited as the ambassador to Ireland. The current post of high commissioner is occupied by Nimal Senadheera.

Contents

List of high commissioners

Representatives of the Government of Ceylon

RepresentativeStart of termEnd of term
Claude Corea 19461948

High commissioners

High CommissionerStart of termEnd of term
Claude Corea 19481949
Sir Oliver Goonetilleke 19491952
Sir Edwin Wijeyeratne 19521954
Sir Claude Corea February 1954December 1957
Gunasena de Soyza December 1957October 1958
P. R. Gunasekera October 1958February 1960
Gunasena de Soyza February 1960October 1961
Sir Senerat Gunewardene October 1961June 1963
Gunapala Malalasekera June 1963February 1967
Sir Lalitha Rajapakse February 1967October 1969
M. V. P. Peiris October 1969December 1970
Tilak Goonaratne December 19701975 - Last High Commissioner from the Dominion of Ceylon (1970-72), and the first High Commissioner from Sri Lanka (1972-75).
Vernon Mendis 19751977
Noel Wimalasena 1977January 1981
A. T. Moorthy January 1981May 1984
Chandra MonerawelaMay 1984March 1990
Sepala Attygalle 1990August 1993
Cyril Ranatunge August 1993February 1995
S. K. Wickremasinghe February 1995January 1999
Lal Jayawardena January 1999July 2000
Mangala Moonesinghe July 2000April 2002
Faiz Mustapha April 2002February 2005
Kshenuka SenewiratneFebruary 2005May 2008
Chandra Nihal Jayasinghe May 200831 December 2010
Chris Nonis [1] [2] 1 September 201120 October 2014
Sugeeshwara Gunaratna
(Acting) [3] 		21 October 201414 November 2016
Amari Mandika Wijewardane [4] 15 November 20161 April 2018
Sugeeshwara Gunaratna (acting) [5] 1 April 201820 February 2019
Manisha Gunasekara [6] 20 February 201931 January 2020
Saroja Sirisena 02 March 202018 November 2023 [7]
Rohitha Bogollagama 19 November 20232 November 2024 [8]
Nimal Senadheera16 June 2025 [9]

Deputy high commissioners

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Dr. Chris Nonis assumes office as new Sri Lankan envoy to UK". ft.lk. Daily Financial Times. 5 September 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  2. ↑ "Dr. Chris Nonis Resigns As SL High Commissioner In UK". asianmirror.lk. Asian Mirror. 30 September 2014. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  3. ↑ "Swire holds talks with Lanka's acting envoy to UK". colombogazette.com. Colombo Gazette. 8 January 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  4. ↑ "Sri Lankan HC to UK presents credentials to Queen Elizabeth II". Government of Sri Lanka. news.lk. 17 November 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  5. ↑ "SL's excellence in preserving mangroves to be felicitated at CHOGM" . Retrieved 2018-05-01.
  6. ↑ "Queen Elizabeth receives new SL envoy to UK" . Retrieved 2019-02-22.
  7. ↑ Today we are bidding farewell to High Commissioner Saroja Sirisena as she completes her tenure at the High Commission of Sri Lanka, London. 2023-11-18. Retrieved 2025-09-06– via Facebook.
  8. ↑ "Sri Lanka Recalls Ambassadors and High Commissioners from 15 Countries". newsfirst.lk. Retrieved 2025-09-06.
  9. ↑ "High Commissioner of Sri Lanka". srilankahc.uk. Retrieved 2025-09-06.
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