List of ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Afghanistan

The Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Afghanistan is the United Kingdom's foremost diplomatic representative in Afghanistan, and head of the UK's diplomatic mission in Kabul. The official title is His Britannic Majesty's Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

His Majesty’s Ambassador to Afghanistan
Royal Arms of His Majesty's Government
Incumbent Robert Chatterton Dickson (non-resident chargé d’affaires) since July 2023
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Style	His Excellency Ambassador
Reports to	Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Appointer	The Crown on advice of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Term length	At His Majesty's pleasure
Inaugural holder	Sir Francis Humphrys First Envoy Extraordinary to Afghanistan Sir Giles Squire First Ambassador to Afghanistan
Formation	1922
Website	British Embassy Kabul

The Treaty of Rawalpindi of 1921 provided for the exchange of diplomatic representatives between the two countries. Until 1948 the British ministers in Kabul were members of the Indian Political Service, appointed by the Foreign Office.

Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary

• 1922–1929: Sir Francis Humphrys
• 1929–1935: Sir Richard Maconachie
• 1935–1941: Sir William Fraser-Tytler
• 1941–1943: Sir Francis Wylie
• 1943–1948: Sir Giles Squire^[1]

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

• 1948–1949: Sir Giles Squire^[2]
• 1949–1951: Sir John Gardener^[3]
• 1951–1953: Eric Lingeman^[4]
• 1953–1957: Sir Daniel Lascelles^[5]
• 1957–1963: Sir Michael Gillett^[6]
• 1963–1965: Sir Arthur de la Mare^[7]
• 1965–1968: Sir Gordon Whitteridge^[8]
• 1968–1972: Peers Lee Carter^[9]
• 1972–1976: John Drinkall^[10]
• 1976–1979: Kenneth Crook^[11]
• 1979–1980: Norman Hillier-Fry^[12]
• 1981–1984: John Garner (chargé d'affaires – no ambassador after the beginning of the Soviet–Afghan War)
• 1984–1987: Charles Drace-Francis (chargé d'affaires)
• 1987–1989: Ian Mackley (chargé d'affaires)
• 1989–2000: No representation
• 2001–2002: Stephen Evans (chargé d'affaires)^[13]
• 2002–2003: Ronald Nash^[14]
• 2003–2006: Dame Rosalind Marsden
• 2006–2007: Stephen Evans
• 2007–2009: Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles
• 2009–2010: Sir Mark Sedwill
• 2010–2012: Sir William Patey
• 2012–2015: Sir Richard Stagg^[15]
• 2015–2016: Dame Karen Pierce^[16]
• 2016–2017: Dominic Jermey^[17]
• 2017–2018: Sir Nicholas Kay^[18]
• 2018–2019: Giles Lever (chargé d'affaires)^[19]
• 2019–2021: Alison Blake^[20][21]
• June-November 2021: Sir Laurie Bristow^[22]
• 2021-2022: Dr Martin Longden (non-resident chargé d’affaires based at the British Embassy in Doha following the fall of Kabul).^[23]
• 2022-2023: Hugo Shorter (non-resident chargé d’affaires based at the British Embassy in Doha following the fall of Kabul).^[24]

References

1. The London Gazette, 8 October 1943
2. The London Gazette, 7 September 1948
3. The London Gazette, 18 November 1949
4. The Diplomatic service list 1970 - Political Science, p. 136
5. "LASCELLES, Sir Daniel William". Who Was Who. A & C Black. Retrieved 11 October 2008.
6. The London Gazette, 11 October 1957
7. The London Gazette, 18 July 1963
8. The London Gazette, 3 December 1965
9. Peers Carter, obituary, Daily Telegraph, 26 February 2001
10. The London Gazette, 11 January 1973
11. CROOK, Kenneth Roy, Who's Who 2012, A & C Black, 2012; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2011; accessed 22 July 2012
12. The London Gazette, 3 January 1980
13. Spotlight falls on Afghan expert, The Guardian, London, 20 November 2001
14. NASH, Ronald Peter, Who's Who 2012, A & C Black, 2012; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2011, accessed 22 July 2012
15. "UK in Afghanistan – Our Ambassador". Archived from the original on 13 December 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
16. Karen Pierce, gov.uk
17. Change of Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, 31 December 2015
18. "Britain's new ambassador to Afghanistan Nicholas Kay takes over". ITV Afghanistan. 21 August 2017. Archived from the original on 21 August 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
19. "UK Ambassador to Afghanistan appointed as next NATO Senior Civilian Representative". Foreign & Commonwealth Office. 5 December 2018.
20. @UKinAfghanistan (23 May 2019). "British Ambassador Alison Blake presents her credentials" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
21. "Change of Her Majesty's Ambassador to Afghanistan - May 2019". GOV.UK (Press release). 15 April 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
22. "Sir Laurie Bristow KCMG". FCDO. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
23. "Chargé d'Affaires British Embassy Kabul Dr Martin Longden". FCDO. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
24. "Appointment of Chargé d'Affaires ad interim of the UK Mission to Afghanistan: Hugo Shorter". GOV.UK. Retrieved 6 October 2022.

External links

• UK in Afghanistan, gov.uk