Foreign and Commonwealth Office, London

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, also called "Foreign Office" or simply the FCO, is the British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom abroad. It was formed in 1968 through the merger of the short-lived Commonwealth Office and the Foreign Office. The Commonwealth Office itself was created in 1966 by merging the Commonwealth Relations Office and the Colonial Office, while the Commonwealth Relations Office was formed by merging the Dominions Office and the India Office in 1947 - the Dominions Office was a spin off from the Colonial Office in 1925.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Foreign.office.london.arp.jpg
Author: Adrian Pingstone


The Foreign Office was formed in March 1782 by combining the Southern and Northern Departments, each of which covered both foreign and domestic affairs in their respective geographical parts of the Kingdom. The two departments' foreign affairs responsibilities became the Foreign Office, whilst their domestic affairs responsibilities were assigned to the Home Office.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office occupies the building originally provided for the Foreign Office, the India Office, the Colonial Office, and the Home Office. It was constructed in 1861 and completed in 1868. The architect was George Gilbert Scott, who designed it in the Italianate style. Scott had initially intended to design it in Gothic design, but Lord Palmerston, the then Foreign Secretary, insisted on a classical style. When the construction began in 1861, Palmerston was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Getting there

Nearest Tube Station: Westminster

List of Historical buildings in London

 Latest updates on Penang Travel Tips

Songs about Penang

About this website

Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.