British Ambassador
to Iceland
Royal Arms of His Majesty's Government
Incumbent
Bryony Mathew
since August 2021
Reports toSecretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
ResidenceReykjavík
Inaugural holderCharles Howard Smith
First Envoy extraordinary to Iceland
Andrew Gilchrist
First Ambassador to Iceland
Formation1939
Envoys extraordinary
1957
Ambassadors extraordinary
Websitewww.gov.uk/world/iceland

British Embassy, Reykjavík

The Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Iceland is the United Kingdom's foremost diplomatic representative in Iceland, and head of the UK's diplomatic mission in Iceland. There official title is His Britannic Majesty's Ambassador to the Republic of Iceland.

Both the British embassy and the ambassador's residence are in Reykjavík. The British embassy shares a site and several common facilities with the German embassy.

History

The UK's first representative to Iceland was appointed during the Second World War. Until then, Iceland had been a dependency of Denmark and then, since 1918, a sovereign state in a personal union with Denmark, with Denmark handling Icelandic foreign policy. On 9 April 1940 Nazi Germany invaded Denmark and the British Minister, Charles Smith, who had been appointed only six months previously,[1] and his staff were expelled. Immediately, Iceland declared itself responsible for its own foreign affairs, and declared strict neutrality.

To prevent the emergence of a pro-Nazi government in Reykjavík, and help fight the Battle of the Atlantic, the United Kingdom occupied Iceland on 10 May 1940. With the British troops, Charles Howard Smith arrived as envoy to the Icelandic government. Smith died in his post in 1942, and was replaced by Gerald Shepherd (later Sir Gerald) the following year.[2] In 1944, still at the height of the war, Iceland declared its full independence from Denmark.

Although the diplomatic mission in Iceland is not a large one, nor particularly prestigious, its importance during the Cold War was disproportionate, due to its strategic location in the North Atlantic. More crucial to British interests was the string of diplomatic and economic disputes related to fishing rights, which culminated in the Cod Wars.

List of heads of mission

Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

References

  1. ↑ The London Gazette, 31 October 1939
  2. ↑ The London Gazette, 3 March 1944
  3. ↑ SMITH, Charles Howard, Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007, accessed 3 Jan 2013
  4. ↑ SHEPHERD, Sir (Edward Henry) Gerald, Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007, accessed 3 Jan 2013
  5. ↑ The London Gazette, 30 January 1948
  6. ↑ The London Gazette, 31 August 1951
  7. ↑ The London Gazette, 28 July 1953
  8. ↑ The London Gazette, 20 November 1956
  9. ↑ The London Gazette, 11 October 1957
  10. ↑ The London Gazette, 22 January 1960
  11. ↑ The London Gazette, 27 July 1962
  12. ↑ The London Gazette, 4 March 1966
  13. ↑ The London Gazette, 20 October 1970
  14. ↑ The London Gazette, 11 September 1975
  15. ↑ The London Gazette, 9 July 1981
  16. ↑ THOMAS, Richard, Who's Who 2013, A & C Black, 2013; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012, accessed 3 Jan 2013
  17. ↑ CHAPMAN, Mark Fenger, Who's Who 2013, A & C Black, 2013; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012, accessed 3 Jan 2013
  18. ↑ BEST, Sir Richard (Radford), Who's Who 2013, A & C Black, 2013; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012, accessed 3 Jan 2013
  19. ↑ WOGAN, Patrick Francis Michael, Who's Who 2013, A & C Black, 2013; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012, accessed 3 Jan 2013
  20. ↑ HONE, Michael Stuart, Who's Who 2013, A & C Black, 2013; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012, accessed 3 Jan 2013
  21. ↑ McCULLOCH, James Rae, Who's Who 2013, A & C Black 2013; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012, accessed 3 Jan 2013
  22. ↑ CULVER, John Howard, Who's Who 2013, A & C Black, 2013; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012, accessed 3 Jan 2013
  23. ↑ MEHMET, Alper, Who's Who 2013, A & C Black, 2013; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012, accessed 3 Jan 2013
  24. ↑ WHITTING, Ian Robert, Who's Who 2013, A & C Black, 2013; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012, accessed 3 Jan 2013
  25. ↑ "Our Ambassador". Archived from the original on 18 March 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) – UK in Iceland
  26. ↑ "Michael Nevin, British Ambassador to Iceland". gov.uk. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  27. ↑ "British Ambassador to Iceland Dr Bryony Mathew". FCDO. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
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