List of high commissioners of the United Kingdom to Cyprus explained

The High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to Cyprus is the United Kingdom's foremost diplomatic representative in the Republic of Cyprus.

Previously a territory of the Ottoman Empire, a British protectorate under Ottoman suzerainty was established over Cyprus by the Cyprus Convention of 4 June 1878. The United Kingdom declared war on the Ottoman Empire on 5 November 1914 and annexed Cyprus. Turkey recognised British possession of Cyprus by the Treaty of Lausanne on 24 July 1923 and the island became a Crown colony on 10 March 1925. Following the Zürich and London Agreement of 19 February 1959, Cyprus became independent on 16 August 1960. The Republic of Cyprus is a member of the British Commonwealth, so the British diplomatic representative is a High Commissioner.

Heads of mission

High Commissioners (1878–1925)

• 1878–1879: Sir Garnet Wolseley
• 1879–1886: Sir Robert Biddulph
• 1886–1892: Sir Henry Ernest Bulwer
• 1892–1898: Sir Walter Sendall
• 1898–1904: Sir William Haynes Smith
  • 1904–1911: Sir Charles King-Harman 1911–1915: Hamilton Goold-Adams
• 1915–1918: Sir John Clauson (died in office)
• 1918–1920: Sir Malcolm Stevenson (acting)
• 1920–1925: Sir Malcolm Stevenson

Governors (1925–1960)

• 1925–1926: Sir Malcolm Stevenson
• 1926–1932: Sir Ronald Storrs
  • 1932–1933: Sir Reginald Stubbs 1933–1939: Sir Richmond Palmer
• 1939–1941: William Battershill
• 1941–1946: Charles Woolley
• 1946–1949: Reginald Fletcher, 1st Baron Winster
• 1949–1954: Sir Andrew Wright
• 1954–1955: Sir Robert Armitage
• 1955–1957: Sir John Harding
• 1957–1960: Sir Hugh Foot

High Commissioners (1960–present)^[1]

• 1961–1964: Sir Arthur Clark
• 1964–1965: Sir Alec Bishop
• 1965–1967: Sir David Hunt
• 1967–1969: Sir Norman Costar
• 1969–1971: Peter Ramsbotham
• 1971–1972: Robert Edmonds
• 1973–1975: Stephen Olver
• 1975–1979: Donald Gordon
• 1979–1982: Peregrine Rhodes
• 1982–1988: William Wilberforce
• 1988–1990: Humphrey Maud
• 1990–1994: David Dain
• 1994–1999: David Madden
• 1999–2001: Edward Clay
• 2001–2005: Lyn Parker
• 2005–2010: Peter Millett
• 2010–2014: Matthew Kidd^[2]
• 2014–2016: Ric Todd^[3]
• 2016–2018: Matthew Kidd^[4]

• 2018–2022: Stephen Lillie^[5]
• 2022–: Irfan Siddiq^[6]

External links

• UK and Cyprus, gov.uk

Notes and References

1. Web site: Previous High Commissioners to Cyprus . 2012-05-22 . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20121210053745/http://ukincyprus.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/our-high-commission/our-high-commissioner/previous-high-commissioners . 10 December 2012 .
2. Web site: Our High Commissioner . 2012-05-22 . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20121209012950/http://ukincyprus.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/our-high-commission/our-high-commissioner/ . 9 December 2012 .
3. Web site: Ric Todd, British High Commissioner to Cyprus . gov.uk.
4. Web site: High Commissioner to Cyprus Matthew Kidd presents his credentials . British High Commission Nicosia . 30 June 2016.
5. Web site: Change of British High Commissioner to Cyprus . Foreign & Commonwealth Office . 13 July 2017.
6. Web site: Change of British High Commissioner to Cyprus: Irfan Siddiq. Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office . 11 May 2022.