British Embassy, Washington D.C. USA

The British Embassy Washington maintains and develops relations between the UK and the United States. We deal with a wide range of Political, Commercial, Security, Cultural, Charitable,  and Economic questions of interest to the UK and the US. Our consular team in Washington provides consular assistance to British nationals in the District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The ambassador is responsible for the direction and work of the embassy and its consulates. His tasks are to present UK policies to the American government and to Americans, to report and explain American policies and views to his own government in London, and to support UK interests. He is also responsible for press and cultural relations, and for consular services. He is based at the British Embassy in Washington but travels regularly throughout the United States. British consulates champion trade and investment between the UK and US. They also keep the ambassador aware of political, economic, and other developments in their consular districts. The consuls are also responsible for providing consular services to British nationals in their consular districts.

 

Karen Pierce DCMG
British Ambassador to the USA

Karen Pierce DCMG

Prior to arriving in DC, Karen Pierce was the United Kingdom’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York since March 2018. Prior to this role, Karen served as the Director-General for Political Affairs and Chief Operating Officer of the Foreign and Commonwealth in London, from 2016.

Karen joined the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in 1981. Her first role was in Tokyo between 1984 and 1987, after which she returned to the UK to work in the Security Policy Department. Karen worked in Washington as the Private Secretary to the British Ambassador to the United States between 1992 and 1995. Between 1996 and 2006, Karen held several positions in London including Team Leader for Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova, Deputy Head of Eastern Adriatic (Balkans) Department, Head of Newsroom, Head of EU Department (Bilateral) and concurrently Head of Afghanistan Political Military Unit after 9/11 before returning to the Balkans as Balkans Coordinator from 2002 to 2006.

In 2006, Karen moved to New York for the first time to be the Deputy Permanent Representative and Ambassador at the UK Mission to the UN. In 2009, she returned to London to become the Director of South Asia and Afghanistan Department and the UK’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. In 2012, Karen started her second multilateral role, this time in Geneva, where she was the Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UK Mission to the United Nations, World Trade Organization and Other International Organisations until 2015. Between 2015 and 2016 Karen was the UK’s Ambassador to Afghanistan.

 

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  • Monday09:00 - 16:00
  • Tuesday09:00 - 16:00
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  • Thursday09:00 - 16:00
  • Friday09:00 - 16:00
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