Texas embassy
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The Texas Embassy is a well-known Tex-Mex restaurant in London, on Cockspur St. off Trafalgar Square. It opened in 1994. It is named in honour of the Texas Legation, an embassy for the nascient Republic of Texas which was located around 500 metres away on St. James Street in a building that houses a wine store called Berry Brothers.
Although the building that houses today's restaurant at no stage contained the legation, it does have its own link to fame. It served as the headquarters of the White Star Line (owners of the RMS Titanic). It was outside this building that lists of those who survived the Titanic's sinking were posted.
[edit] The Texas Legation
Between the years of 1836 and 1845 the Republic of Texas existed as an independent nation. In a bid to protect itself from almost certain invasion by forces from neighbouring Mexico, the government of the republic sought to foster international ties. It did this by opening legations in both London and Paris. Their opening is believed by some academics to be less an attempt by Texas to enter the international stage as an independent country and more a manouver to prompt officals in the United States to worry that an independent Texas might allow British and French soldiers to amass on the south border of the U.S.
When Texas sought to join the United States in 1845, the British Empire supported keeping it independent. The British even offerred to guarentee Texas's borders with both the States and Mexico. Texas was a tactical ally of Britain acting as a counterweight to America. Nonetheless an independent Texas was probably unviable for financial reasons and when the Republic became a state in 1845 the embassy was shut down.
The Texas Legation in Paris was at 1 Place Vendom 75001, where there is today a plaque testifying to its authenticity.
