High Commission of Canada in London

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Provincial and territorial flags on the side of Canada House.

The High Commission of Canada in London is the diplomatic mission from Canada to the United Kingdom. It is housed in two buildings in London.

The administrative and trade sections of the High Commission are located in Macdonald House, the former American Embassy in London on Grosvenor Square in London's Mayfair district. Canada House, a building located on Trafalgar Square, is the home to the cultural and consular sections.

Canada's presence in London goes back to 1869 whenSir John Rose, 1st Baronet was appointed as Canada's informal representative in Britain. This was the first Canadian diplomatic positing and the first from any British colony to the motherland. Since Canada's did not have a foreign ministry, Rose acted as the personal representative of Canada's prime minister Sir John A. Macdonald. Rose's position was retained despite a change of government in Canada and his position was given the title "Financial Commissioner for the Dominion of Canada". When Macdonald returned to power in 1878 he wanted to elevate the office to "resident minister" but this is disallowed by Britain, who offered the title of high commissioner instead; this was the origin of the practice whereby members of the Commonwealth send high commissioners rather than ambassadors to each other, which continues to this day.

The first high commissioner was Alexander Tilloch Galt, appointed in 1870. The office remained the most important and in Canadian diplomacy and was always filled by political appointees rather than career diplomats even after Canada created a Ministry of External Affairs in 1921.

As the high commission's role grew it need to expand its facilities, and on June 29th, 1925 King George V and Queen Mary opened Canada House on Trafalgar Square. The commission's needs continued to expand, however, and Canada acquired the former American embassy on Grosvenor Square and renamed it Macdonald House in honour of Canada's first prime minister. Macdonald House opened on Canada Day, (July 1st), 1961. Canada House was refurbished in 1997-98.