Room for Diplomacy: The History of Britain's Diplomatic Buildings 1800-2000

Britain’s overseas diplomatic buildings – embassies, consulates, high commissions – come in all shapes and sizes, styles and ages. They all share one purpose – to support Britain’s diplomatic

efforts. The buildings are the passive partners of their active diplomatic occupants. Whether as flagship, theatre of operations, or refuge, a building gives its diplomats the stage on which to perform their roles – their Room for Diplomacy. This book is the first to piece together the story of why these buildings were required, how and when they were procured, and who made them happen. Though the buildings are very different, the way that they were provided by one

government department for another was remarkably constant. So were the clashes between impatient diplomats in distant countries with short-term requirements and cautious providers in London with long-term views about value. In many ways, a two century saga of competing outlooks.