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. Their 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,The London Gazette, 31 October 1939 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 swiftly 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.The London Gazette, 3 March 1944 In 1944, still at the height of the war, Iceland declared its full independence from Denmark, through the constitutional referendum held.
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
Envoys extraordinary and ministers plenipotentiary 1940–1942: Charles Howard SmithSMITH, Charles Howard, Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007, accessed 3 Jan 2013 1943–1947: Sir Gerald ShepherdSHEPHERD, Sir (Edward Henry) Gerald, Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007, accessed 3 Jan 2013 1947–1950: Charles BaxterThe London Gazette, 30 January 1948 1950–1953: John GreenwayThe London Gazette, 31 August 1951 1953–1956: James HendersonThe London Gazette, 28 July 1953 1956–1957: Andrew GilchristThe London Gazette, 20 November 1956
Ambassadors extraordinary and plenipotentiary 1957–1959: Andrew GilchristThe London Gazette, 11 October 1957 1959–1962: Charles StewartThe London Gazette, 22 January 1960 1962–1965: Basil BoothbyThe London Gazette, 27 July 1962 1966–1970: Aubrey Halford-MacLeodThe London Gazette, 4 March 1966 1970–1975: John McKenzieThe London Gazette, 20 October 1970 1975–1981: Kenneth EastThe London Gazette, 11 September 1975 1981–1983: William McQuillanThe London Gazette, 9 July 1981 1983–1986: Richard ThomasTHOMAS, Richard, Who's Who 2013, A & C Black, 2013; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012, accessed 3 Jan 2013 1986–1989: Mark ChapmanCHAPMAN, Mark Fenger, Who's Who 2013, A & C Black, 2013; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012, accessed 3 Jan 2013 1989–1991: Sir Richard BestBEST, Sir Richard (Radford), Who's Who 2013, A & C Black, 2013; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012, accessed 3 Jan 2013 1991–1993: Patrick WoganWOGAN, Patrick Francis Michael, Who's Who 2013, A & C Black, 2013; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012, accessed 3 Jan 2013 1993–1996: Michael HoneHONE, Michael Stuart, Who's Who 2013, A & C Black, 2013; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012, accessed 3 Jan 2013 1996–2000: James McCullochMcCULLOCH, James Rae, Who's Who 2013, A & C Black 2013; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012, accessed 3 Jan 2013 2001–2004: John CulverCULVER, John Howard, Who's Who 2013, A & C Black, 2013; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012, accessed 3 Jan 2013 2004–2008: Alp MehmetMEHMET, Alper, Who's Who 2013, A & C Black, 2013; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012, accessed 3 Jan 2013 2008–2012: Ian WhittingWHITTING, Ian Robert, Who's Who 2013, A & C Black, 2013; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012, accessed 3 Jan 2013 2012–2016: Stuart Gill – UK in Iceland 2016–2021: Michael Nevin 2021-2026: Dr Bryony Mathew
September 2026–: Jane Stevens
References
External links UK and Iceland, gov.uk