List of ambassadors of the United Kingdom to the Netherlands

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

Since the formation in 1997 of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which is located in The Hague, the British ambassador to the Netherlands has also been the UK's permanent representative to the OPCW, assisted by a chemical weapons team at the embassy.Chemical Weapons team – British Embassy The Hague

Besides the embassy in The Hague, the UK also maintains a consulate general in Amsterdam.

List of heads of mission

Envoys to the Prince of Orange 1575−1578: Daniel Rogers Agent and Special agent 1578–1579 1575−1576: Robert Corbet Special Ambassador 1577: Philip Sidney Special Ambassador 1577−1579: William Davison Resident agent; Special Ambassador 1584–1585; English Councillor 1585−1586 1585−1586: Henry Killigrew and Dr Bartholomew Clerke English Councillors on the Dutch Council of State 1586−1587: Thomas Wilkes Special Ambassador then English Councillor on the Dutch Council of State; also 1578, 1582, and 1590 1587−1589: Henry Killigrew English Councillor on the Dutch Council of State 1588−1593: Thomas Bodley English Councillor on the Dutch Council of State; again 1594−1596 1593−1602: George Gilpin English Councillor on the Dutch Council of State

Ambassadors to the United Provinces 1603–1613: Sir Ralph Winwood Agent 1603–1607; Commissioner (with Spencer) 1607–1609; then Resident ambassadorGary M. Bell, A handlist of British diplomatic representatives 1509-1688 (Royal Historical Society, Guides and handbooks, 16, 1990). 1607–1609: Sir Richard Spencer Commissioner (with Winwood) 1614–1615: Sir Henry Wotton 1615–1625 and 1626–1628: Sir Dudley Carleton 1625: George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham Ambassador Extraordinary 1625–1632: Dudley Carleton, his nephew Chargé d'Affaires; then Agent 1632–1649: Sir William Boswell Agent until 1634; then Ambassador 1642–1650: Walter Strickland Ambassador (appointed by Parliament) 1644: Henry Jermyn, 1st Baron Jermyn Ambassador No representation due to the First Anglo-Dutch War 1652–1654 1657–1665: Sir George Downing No representation due to the Second Anglo-Dutch War 1665–1667 1668–1670: Sir William Temple, Bt 1671–1672: William Blathwayt Chargé d'Affaires No representation due to the Third Anglo-Dutch War 1672–1674 1674–1679: Sir William Temple, Bt 1678–1679: Roger Meredith Chargé d'Affaires 1679–1681: Henry Sidney

Envoys extraordinary and ministers plenipotentiary to the United Provinces 1681–1682: Thomas Plott Agent 1681–1685: Thomas Chudleigh 1685–1686: Bevil Skelton Ambassador 1686–1688: Ignatius White

Ambassadors to the United Provinces 1689: Thomas Herbert, Earl of PembrokeD. B. Horn, British Diplomatic Representatives 1689-1789 (Camden 3rd Ser. 46, 1932) 1689–1695: Charles Berkeley, Viscount Dursley Envoy Extraordinary 1690: William Harbord 1695–1697: Edward Villiers, 1st Viscount Villiers 1697–1699: Sir Joseph Williamson 1700–1706: Alexander Stanhope Envoy Extraordinary 1701 and 1702–1712: John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough 1706–1712: James Dayrolle Resident 1706–1707: George Stepney Envoy Extraordinary (but rarely at The Hague) 1707–1709: William Cadogan Envoy Extraordinary (but rarely at The Hague) 1709–1711: Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend 1711: Charles Boyle, Earl of Orrery Envoy Extraordinary 1711–1714: Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford 1714–1720 William Cadogan, 1st Earl Cadogan Envoy Extraordinary until 1716 then Ambassador Jan – Apr 1715 and Oct 1715–Oct 1716: Horatio Walpole 1717: William Leathes seconded as Resident from his post in Brussels 1717–1721: Charles Whitworth Envoy Extraordinary 1717; then Minister Plenipotentiary (seconded from his post in Berlin)London Gazette 5528 1717–1739: James Dayrolle Resident

Envoys extraordinary and ministers plenipotentiary to the United Provinces May-Jul 1722: Horatio Walpole Minister Plenipotentiary 1724–1728: William Finch Envoy Extraordinary 1728–1732: Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield Ambassador 1733–1734: William Finch Minister Plenipotentiary Repertoria vertegenwoordigers in Nederland en in het buitenland 1584-1810; p. 101 1734–1739: Horatio Walpole Minister 1734; then Envoy Extraordinary (absent 1736-Jun 1739) 1736–1746: Robert Trevor (Secretary 1736–1736; then Envoy Extraordinary until 1741, then also Minister Plenipotentiary)William Carr, ‘Trevor, Robert Hampden-, first Viscount Hampden (1706–1783)’, rev. Martyn J. Powell, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, (Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008) , accessed 10 Aug 2008. 1742–1743: John Dalrymple, 2nd Earl of Stair Ambassador 1745: Philip Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield 1746–1749: John Montagu, Earl of Sandwich Minister Plenipotentiary 1747–1752: Solomon Dayrolles Resident 1749–1751: Robert Darcy, 4th Earl of Holderness Minister Plenipotentiary 1751–1780: Joseph Yorke Minister Plenipotentiary until 1761 then Ambassador No representation due to the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War 1780–1784 1784–1789: Sir James Harris Minister Plenipotentiary until 1788; then (as Lord Malmesbury) AmbassadorJ. Haydn, Book of Dignities, 79 1789–1790: Alleyne FitzHerbert Envoy ExtraordinaryS. T. Bindoff, E. F. Malcolm Smith and C. K. Webster, British Diplomatic Representatives 1789-1852 (Camden 3rd Series, 50, 1934). 1790–1793: William Eden, 1st Baron Auckland (ambassador) 1790–1793: Lord Henry John Spencer Secretary, but Minister ad interim 1791–1792 and 1793 1793–1794: Hon. William Eliot Minister ad interim 1794–1795: Alleyne FitzHerbert Diplomatic relations suspended 1795–1802

Envoys extraordinary and ministers plenipotentiary to the Batavian Republic 1802–1803: Robert Liston Diplomatic Relations suspended 1803–1813

Ambassadors to the United Kingdom of the Netherlands Under the Treaty of Vienna in 1815, the northern and southern Netherlands were united into the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. 1813–1815: Richard Trench, 2nd Earl of Clancarty 1815: Sir Charles Stuart 1815–1816: Mr John James Minister ad interim 1816–1817: Mr George William Chad Minister ad interim 1817–1824: Richard Trench, 2nd Earl of Clancarty 1818–1819, 1819, 1822 and 1824: Mr George William Chad Minister ad interim 1824: Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Viscount Granville 1824: Sir Andrew Snape Douglas (ad interim) 1824–1829: Sir Charles Bagot 1829–1832: Sir Thomas Cartwright (ad interim) The United Kingdom of the Netherlands was dissolved by the secession of the Southern Netherlands in the Belgian Revolution

Envoys extraordinary and ministers plenipotentiary to the Netherlands 1832: Hon. John Duncan Bligh (ad interim) 1833–1836: Hon. George Jerningham Chargé d'affaires 1836–1851: Sir Edward Cromwell Disbrowe 1851–1858: Sir Ralph Abercromby 1858–1860: Francis Napier, 10th Lord Napier 1860–1862: Sir Andrew Buchanan 1862–1867: Sir John Ralph Milbanke, 8th Bt 1867–1877: Hon. Edward Harris 1877–1888: Hon. William Stuart 1888–1896: Sir Horace Rumbold, 8th Bt 1896–1908: Sir Henry Howard 1908–1910: Sir George Buchanan 1910–1917: Hon. Sir Alan Johnstone 1917–1919: Sir Walter Townley 1919–1921: Sir Ronald Graham 1921–1926: Sir Charles Marling 1926–1928: Granville Leveson-Gower, 3rd Earl Granville 1928–1933: Hon. Sir Odo Russell 1933–1938: Sir Hubert Montgomery 1938–1942: Sir Nevile Bland

Ambassadors to the Netherlands 1942–1948: Sir Nevile Bland 1948–1952: Sir Philip Nichols 1952–1954: Sir Nevile Butler 1954–1960: Sir Paul Mason 1960–1964: Sir Andrew Noble 1964–1970: Sir Peter Garran 1970–1972: Sir Edward Tomkins 1972–1977: Sir John Barnes 1977–1979: Sir Richard SykesSir Richard Sykes was murdered by IRA gunmen whilst ambassador 1979–1981: Sir Jock Taylor 1981–1984: Sir Philip Mansfield 1984–1988: Sir John Margetson 1988–1993: Sir Michael Jenkins 1993–1996: Sir David Miers 1996–2001: Dame Rosemary Spencer 2001–2005: Sir Colin Budd 2005–2009: Mr Lyn Parker 2009–2013: Mr Paul Arkwright 2013–2017: Sir Geoffrey Adams 2017–2020: Hon. Peter Wilson

2020–2025: Joanna Roper 2025–present: Chris Rampling

See also Netherlands – United Kingdom relations

References

External links British Embassy The Hague