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List of ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Spain

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His Britannic Majesty's Ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain
Royal Arms of His Majesty's Government
Incumbent
Sir Alex Ellis
since 2024
StyleHis Excellency
Reports toForeign Secretary
ResidencePaseo de la Castellana in Madrid
AppointerKing Charles III
Term lengthNo term fixed
Inaugural holderJohn Stile
First Resident Ambassador to Spain
Formation1505
Resident Ambassador
WebsiteUK and Spain
British embassy in Madrid until 2008

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

The British ambassador to Spain is also non-resident ambassador to the Principality of Andorra.

In 1822, Foreign Secretary George Canning downgraded the Embassy to a Mission, and the Head of Mission from an Ambassador to an Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, to reflect Spain's decreased importance on the world stage. The Mission in Madrid was upgraded to a full Embassy once more on 9 December 1887.

List of heads of mission

The following is a partial list of British ambassadors to Spain.

Titles of the heads of mission:

  • From 1509 to 1683: Ambassador
  • From 1683 to 1710: Envoy Extraordinary
  • From 1711 to 1821: Ambassador
  • From 1822 to 1887: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
  • Since 1887: Ambassador
Appointed/accreditation Incumbent Monarch Envoy to Left office
1505 John Stile Henry VIII of England Ferdinand II of Aragon 16 June 1518
3 June 1512 William Knight Henry VIII of England Ferdinand II of Aragon 1 September 1513
15 July 1517 Sir Thomas Spinelly Henry VIII of England Charles I of Spain 1522
28 February 1518 John Kite
John Bourchier, 2nd Baron Berners 		Henry VIII of England Charles I of Spain 1 March 1519
1533 Richard Pate Henry VIII of England Charles I of Spain 1537
1537 Sir Thomas Wyatt Henry VIII of England Charles I of Spain 1539
12 March 1554 John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford
Thomas Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex 		Mary I of England Philip II of Spain 20 July 1554
12 January 1560 Anthony Browne, 1st Viscount Montagu Elizabeth I of England Philip II of Spain 24 June 1560
24 June 1560 Anthony Browne, 1st Viscount Montagu
Sir Thomas Chamberlain 		Elizabeth I of England Philip II of Spain 24 June 1562
30 September 1561 Thomas Chaloner Elizabeth I of England Philip II of Spain 15 May 1565
5 March 1565 William Phayre Elizabeth I of England Philip II of Spain 4 April 1566
12 January 1566 John Man Elizabeth I of England Philip II of Spain 5 October 1568
18 November 1576 Sir John Smith Elizabeth I of England Philip II of Spain 28 July 1577
December 1577 Thomas Wilkes Elizabeth I of England Philip II of Spain February 1578
May 1579 Edward Wotton, 1st Baron Wotton Elizabeth I of England Philip II of Spain
January 1583 William Wade Elizabeth I of England Philip II of Spain August 1584
1584 Thomas Wilson Elizabeth I of England Philip II of Spain
2 March 1605 Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham James VI and I Philip III of Spain 4 July 1577
1605 Francis Cottington, 1st Baron Cottington James VI and I Philip III of Spain
1605 Charles Cornwallis James VI and I Philip III of Spain 1609
1608 John Digby, 1st Earl of Bristol James VI and I Philip III of Spain
1609 Francis Cottington, 1st Baron Cottington James VI and I Philip III of Spain 1611
1609 Peter Wyche James VI and I Philip IV of Spain 1611
1616 William Cecil, 17th Baron de Ros James VI and I Philip III of Spain
1617 John Digby, 1st Earl of Bristol James VI and I Philip IV of Spain 1618
1617 John Digby, 1st Earl of Bristol James VI and I Philip III of Spain
1618 Walter Aston, 1st Lord Aston of Forfar James VI and I Philip III of Spain
1622 Mr. Hole James VI and I Philip IV of Spain
1622 Simon Digby (fl. 1620–1640s) James VI and I Philip IV of Spain 1640
1622 John Digby, 1st Earl of Bristol James VI and I Philip IV of Spain
1623 Endymion Porter James VI and I Philip IV of Spain
1624 Stephen Gardiner James VI and I Philip IV of Spain
1 March 1625 Peter Wyche Charles I of England Philip IV of Spain 30 April 1626
11 August 1628 Endymion Porter Charles I of England Philip IV of Spain 5 January 1629
1 July 1629 Francis Cottington, 1st Baron Cottington Charles I of England Philip IV of Spain 20 April 1631
18 December 1630 Arthur Hopton Charles I of England Philip IV of Spain 23 April 1636
13 July 1634 John Taylor Charles I of England Philip IV of Spain 24 May 1635
26 December 1634 Walter Aston, 1st Lord Aston of Forfar Charles I of England Philip IV of Spain 31 July 1638
April 1638 Sir Richard Fanshawe, 1st Baronet Charles I of England Philip IV of Spain 10 June 1638
21 March 1638 Arthur Hopton Charles I of England Philip IV of Spain December 1645
25 January 1650 Anthony Ascham English Council of State Philip IV of Spain 27 May 1650
27 May 1650 George Fisher English Council of State Philip IV of Spain 26 September 1651
1654 Anglo-Spanish War (1654-1660) English Council of State Philip IV of Spain 1660
20 February 1666 Edward Montagu, 1st Earl of Sandwich Charles II of England Charles II of Spain 11 October 1668
26 February 1666 Robert Southwell Charles II of England Charles II of Spain 22 June 1666
10 July 1668 Sir John Werden, 1st Baronet Charles II of England Charles II of Spain 10 June 1668
10 July 1668 William Godolphin Charles II of England Charles II of Spain 10 June 1668
21 November 1671 Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland Charles II of England Charles II of Spain 20 May 1672
29 June 1677 Ignatius White Charles II of England Charles II of Spain October 1677
12 June 1679 Sir Henry Goodricke, 2nd Baronet Charles II of England Charles II of Spain 27 March 1683
10 December 1682 Peter Lefett Charles II of England Charles II of Spain 16 November 1685
13 May 1685 Charles Granville, 2nd Earl of Bath Charles II of England Charles II of Spain December 1688
13 May 1685 John Stafford James II of England Charles II of Spain December 1688
May 1689 Viscount Dursley Mary II of England Charles II of Spain August 1689
1689 Alexander Stanhope Mary II of England Charles II of Spain 1699
1699 Francis Schonenberg William III of England Charles II of Spain 1702
1702 War of the Spanish Succession William III of England Philip V of Spain 1702
1705 Mitford Crowe Anne, Queen of Great Britain Philip V of Spain 1706
1705 Paul Methuen Anne, Queen of Great Britain Philip V of Spain 1706
1706 Charles Mordaunt, 3rd Earl of Peterborough,

James Stanhope, 1st Earl Stanhope (joint envoys)

Anne, Queen of Great Britain Charles III of Hungary {1707


{1710

1711 John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll Anne, Queen of Great Britain Charles III of Hungary 1712
1712 Robert Sutton, 2nd Baron Lexinton Anne, Queen of Great Britain Philip V of Spain 1713
1713 Robert Benson, 1st Baron Bingley Anne, Queen of Great Britain Philip V of Spain 1714
1714 Paul Methuen Anne, Queen of Great Britain Philip V of Spain 1715
1715 George Dodington, 1st Baron Melcombe George I of Great Britain Philip V of Spain 1717
1717 John Chetwynd, 2nd Viscount Chetwynd George I of Great Britain Philip V of Spain 1718
1718 War of the Quadruple Alliance George I of Great Britain Philip V of Spain 1720
1720 Luke Schaub George I of Great Britain Philip V of Spain 1720
1720 William Stanhope, 1st Earl of Harrington George I of Great Britain Philip V of Spain 1727
1727 Anglo-Spanish War (1727–29) George I of Great Britain Philip V of Spain
1729 Benjamin Keene George II of Great Britain Philip V of Spain 1739
1739 War of Jenkins' Ear George II of Great Britain Philip V of Spain 1748
1748 Sir Benjamin Keene George II of Great Britain Ferdinand VI of Spain 1757
1758 George Hervey, 2nd Earl of Bristol George II of Great Britain Ferdinand VI of Spain 1761
1761 Anglo-Spanish War (1761) George III of the United Kingdom Charles III of Spain 1763
19 February 1763 John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich George III of the United Kingdom Charles III of Spain
1763 William Nassau de Zuylestein, 4th Earl of Rochford George III of the United Kingdom Charles III of Spain 1766
1766 Sir James Gray, 2nd Baronet George III of the United Kingdom Charles III of Spain 1769
1770 George Pitt, 1st Baron Rivers George III of the United Kingdom Charles III of Spain 1771
1771 James Harris George III of the United Kingdom Charles III of Spain
1771 Thomas Robinson, 2nd Baron Grantham George III of the United Kingdom Charles III of Spain 1779
1779 Anglo-Spanish War (1779-1783) George III of the United Kingdom Charles III of Spain 1783
1783 John Crichton-Stuart, 1st Marquess of Bute George III of the United Kingdom Charles III of Spain
1783 Robert Liston George III of the United Kingdom Charles III of Spain 1788
1784 Philip Stanhope, 5th Earl of Chesterfield George III of the United Kingdom Charles III of Spain 1785
1788 William Eden, 1st Baron Auckland George III of the United Kingdom Charles IV of Spain 1790
1790 Alleyne FitzHerbert, 1st Baron St Helens George III of the United Kingdom Charles IV of Spain 1794
1794 Francis James Jackson George III of the United Kingdom Charles IV of Spain 1795
1795 John Crichton-Stuart, 1st Marquess of Bute George III of the United Kingdom Charles IV of Spain 1796
1796 George III of the United Kingdom Charles IV of Spain 1802
1802 John Hookham Frere George III of the United Kingdom Charles IV of Spain 1804
1808 Charles Stuart George III of the United Kingdom Ferdinand VII of Spain 1808
1808 John Hookham Frere George III of the United Kingdom Ferdinand VII of Spain 1808
1809 Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley George III of the United Kingdom Ferdinand VII of Spain 1809
1810 Henry Wellesley George III of the United Kingdom Ferdinand VII of Spain 1821
1822 William à Court, 1st Baron Heytesbury George IV of the United Kingdom Ferdinand VII of Spain
1825 Frederick Lamb, 3rd Viscount Melbourne George IV of the United Kingdom Ferdinand VII of Spain
5 December 1827 George Bosanquet George IV of the United Kingdom Ferdinand VII of Spain 1830
1830 Henry Unwin Addington George IV of the United Kingdom Ferdinand VII of Spain 1833
1833 George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon William IV of the United Kingdom Isabella II of Spain 1839
1839 George Jerningham Queen Victoria Isabella II of Spain
1840 Sir Arthur Ingram Aston Queen Victoria Isabella II of Spain 1843
1843 George Jerningham Queen Victoria Isabella II of Spain
1844 Henry Bulwer, 1st Baron Dalling and Bulwer Queen Victoria Isabella II of Spain 19 May 1848
19 May 1848 Revolutions of 1848 Queen Victoria Isabella II of Spain 1850
1850 John Hobart Caradoc, 2nd Baron Howden Queen Victoria Isabella II of Spain
1858 Sir Andrew Buchanan, 1st Baronet Queen Victoria Isabella II of Spain
1860 John Fiennes Twisleton Crampton Queen Victoria Isabella II of Spain
1869 Austen Henry Layard Queen Victoria Francisco Serrano, 1st Duke of la Torre
1878 Sir Lionel Sackville-West Queen Victoria Alfonso XII of Spain
1881 Robert Morier Queen Victoria Alfonso XII of Spain
1884 Francis Clare Ford Queen Victoria Alfonso XII of Spain 1887
1887 Francis Clare Ford Queen Victoria Alfonso XIII of Spain 1892
1892 Henry Drummond Wolff Queen Victoria Alfonso XIII of Spain 1900
1900 Henry Mortimer Durand Queen Victoria Alfonso XIII of Spain 1903
1903 Edwin Henry Egerton Edward VII Alfonso XIII of Spain 1904
1904 Arthur Nicolson, 1st Baron Carnock Edward VII Alfonso XIII of Spain 1905
February 1906 Maurice William Ernest de Bunsen Edward VII Alfonso XIII of Spain 1913
1913 Arthur Henry Hardinge George V Alfonso XIII of Spain
1919 Esme Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Penrith George V Alfonso XIII of Spain 1919
1924 Sir Horace Rumbold, 9th Baronet George V Alfonso XIII of Spain
1928 George Dixon Grahame George V Alfonso XIII of Spain
1935 Henry Chilton George V Niceto Alcalá-Zamora
27 February 1939 Maurice Peterson George V Francisco Franco 1940
1940 Samuel Hoare, 1st Viscount Templewood George VI Francisco Franco
1945 Sir Victor Mallet George VI Francisco Franco
1946 Sir Douglas Howard George VI Francisco Franco 1949
10 November 1949 Robert Hankey, 2nd Baron Hankey George VI Francisco Franco 1950
1951 Sir John Balfour George VI Francisco Franco 1954
1954 Sir William Ivo Mallet Elizabeth II Francisco Franco 1960
1960 Sir George Labouchère Elizabeth II Francisco Franco
1966 Sir Alan Meredith Williams Elizabeth II Francisco Franco
1969 Sir John Russell Elizabeth II Francisco Franco
1974 Sir Charles Wiggin Elizabeth II Francisco Franco 1977
1977 Sir Antony Acland Elizabeth II Juan Carlos I of Spain
1980 Sir Richard Parsons Elizabeth II Juan Carlos I of Spain
1984 Lord Nicholas Gordon-Lennox Elizabeth II Juan Carlos I of Spain 1989
1989 Sir Robin Fearn Elizabeth II Juan Carlos I of Spain
1994 David Brighty Elizabeth II Juan Carlos I of Spain
1998 Sir Peter Torry Elizabeth II Juan Carlos I of Spain 1998
2003 Sir Stephen Wright Elizabeth II Juan Carlos I of Spain 2007
2007 Dame Denise Holt Elizabeth II Juan Carlos I of Spain 2009
2009 Giles Paxman Elizabeth II Juan Carlos I of Spain 2013
2013 Simon Manley Elizabeth II Juan Carlos I of Spain

King Felipe VI of Spain

2019
2019 Hugh Elliott Elizabeth II

Charles III

King Felipe VI of Spain 2024
2024 Sir Alex Ellis Charles III King Felipe VI of Spain


References

  1. Chris Cook and Brendan Keith, British Historical Facts 1830-1900, Macmillan 1975, page 168
  2. Hillgarth, J.N. The Mirror of Spain, 1500-1700: The Formation of a Myth, University of Michigan Press, 2000, page 11
  3. "Knight, William (1476-1547)" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  4. Behrens, Betty The Office of the English Resident Ambassador: Its Evolution as Illustrated by the Career of Sir Thomas Spinelly, 1509-22, Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, Fourth Series, Vol. 16, (1933), pp.161-195
  5. "Kite, John" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  6. "Bourchier, John (1467-1533)" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  7. "Wyatt, Thomas (1503?-1542)" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  8. CHAMBERLAIN, Sir Thomas (c.1504-80), History of Parliament Online
  9. "Man, John" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  10. "Smith, John (1534?-1607)" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  11. Froude, James A., History of England from the Fall of Wolsey to the Defeat of the Spanish Armada, John Parker & Son, London, 1870, reprinted Cambridge University Press, 2011, volume XI, pp64-68
  12. "Wilkes, Thomas" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  13. Chris R. Kyle, ‘Cornwallis, Sir Charles (c.1555–1629)’, "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography" (Oxford University Press, 2004), , accessed 1 Feb 2011.
  14. Fiona Pogson, ‘Cottington, Francis, first Baron Cottington (1579?–1652)’, "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography" (Oxford University Press, 2004),, accessed 1 Feb 2011.
  15. , Sir John 1617 Digby sailed for Spain with his kinsman, Sir John, who was English ambassador at Madrid. They returned together 27 April 1618. DIGBY (George lord) son of John, earl of Bristol, was born during his father's embassy to Madrid in 1612.David L. Smith, ‘Digby, John, first earl of Bristol (1580–1653)’, "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography", (Oxford University Press, 2004), , accessed 1 Feb 2011.
  16. J. D. Davies, ‘Goodricke, Sir Henry, second baronet (1642–1705)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 , accessed 10 April 2009
  17. ^ Horn, D.B., British Diplomatic Representatives 1689-1789 (Camden 3rd Ser. 46, 1932)
  18. McLachlan, Jean O., Trade and Peace with Old Spain, 1667-1750, Cambridge University Press, 1940, page 38
  19. Davies, J.D. "Crowe, Mitford". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/6819. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  20. Davenport, Frances G. & Paullin, Charles O.,European Treaties Bearing on the History of the United States and Its Dependencies, Lawbook Exchange, 2012, page 123
  21. Hanham, A.A. "Stanhope, James". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/26248. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  22. "Campbell, John (1678-1743)" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  23. "Sutton, Robert (1661-1723)" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  24. "Benson, Robert (1676-1731)" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  25. The London Gazette, 14 June 1763
  26. J. Haydn, Book of Dignities (1851), 83.
  27. "Pitt, George" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  28. The London Gazette, 23 February 1771
  29. S. T. Bindoff, E. F. Malcolm Smith and C. K. Webster, British Diplomatic Representatives 1789-1852 (Camden 3rd Series, 50, 1934).
  30. Change of Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Spain, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, 19 June 2013
  31. Change of Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Spain during summer 2019 , GOV.UK, 15 October 2018
  32. "Change of His Majesty's Ambassador to Spain: Alex Ellis". GOV.UK. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  33. Gary M. Bell, Handlist of British Diplomatic Representatives, 1509-1688

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