The first Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs was appointed in 1782, but the first purpose-built Foreign Office was not begun until 1861. It was completed in 1868 as part of the new block of government offices which included the India Office and, a few years later, the Colonial and Home Offices.

George Gilbert Scott was responsible for the overall classical design and Matthew Digby Wyatt, the India Office's Surveyor, designed and built the interior of the India Office.

Scott designed the new Foreign Office as 'a kind of national palace or drawing room for the nation' with the use of rich decoration to impress foreign visitors. The same was true of Wyatt's India Office.

During the twentieth century, the impact of two world wars and the growing complexity of public business and international affairs led to severe overcrowding.

Post-1945

Lack of money, post-1945, and dislike of anything Victorian helped to reduce grandeur to squalor, and many of the fine areas were lost to sight behind false ceilings and plasterboard partitions, including the famous Durbar Court in the India Office.

In the 1960s, as part of the grandiose plans for a new Whitehall, it was decided to demolish Scott’s buildings and to erect completely new offices on the same site. Lack of money and a public outcry led to it being designated as a Grade 1 Listed Building and eventually resulted in the rejection of demolition in favour of restoration.

The Colonial Office - latterly the Commonwealth office - was incorporated into the Foreign and Commonwealth office in 1968 and the Home Office moved out in 1978.

The rolling programme of restoration and refurbishment carried out between 1984 and 1997 brought the fine rooms and other public areas back to life.

The FCO story

Since 1782 the Foreign Office has been involved in many extraordinary and exciting events and there are many fascinating historical and official documents in the historical papers section of the website.