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Embassy of the United Kingdom, Prague

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British Embassy in Prague
Map
LocationPrague
AddressThunovska 14
118 00
Prague 1
AmbassadorJan Thompson OBE
WebsiteOfficial website

The British Embassy in Prague is the chief diplomatic mission of the United Kingdom in the Czech Republic. It is located in the Thun Palace, a historic building in the heart of the Malá Strana ("Lesser Town").

History

A bust of Winston Churchill close to the British Embassy in Prague

The long history of the Thun Palace goes back to medieval times and there are Gothic traces in the cellars and foundations of the building. The first written record of a building at this place is from the middle of the 14th century. Since then, the location has marked some of the great events in Czech history. There are records that a house here was burnt during the Hussite Wars, along with much of Malá Strana. Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor bequeathed a rebuilt house to one of his faithful servants, and the house was subsequently traded by winners and losers during the catastrophic upheavals of the Thirty Years' War.

In 1919, when Britain established relations with the new Republic of Czechoslovakia, the British leased the Thun Palace as a Residence for the Minister and the Legation offices. It has been the Legation, and then the Embassy, ever since and in 1925 the British Government bought it. The first Czechoslovak President, Tomáš Masaryk, was a frequent visitor and according to some sources, Masaryk used to come from the Prague Castle through the Embassy garden. Over the years many internal changes to the building have been made to provide more working office space. But the main architectural features, artwork and great treasures of history remain and the building and garden continue to be amongst the most beautiful locations in the city.[1]

List of ambassadors

  • Sian MacLeod (2009 - 2013)
  • Jan Thompson OBE (2013 - )

See also

References

  1. ^ http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM6H3G_The_British_Embassy_in_the_Czech_Republic_Prague


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