EMBASSIES & LEGATIONS, DISAPPEARED

Scotland Yard

In 959 the Scottish monarch King Kenneth II is supposed to have come to London to pay homage to King Edgar. It is reputed that the latter gave his brother monarch a house off Whitehall that stood on what was to become Great Scotland Yard. Whenever Scottish royalty came to London they stayed in the building. In 1603 the two crowns were united by the succession of the Scottish king King James VI to the English throne as King James I. Thereby, the residence's purpose became redundant. Thereafter, the site was given over to other uses.

Middle Scotland Yard and Little Scotland Yard disappeared beneath Whitehall Place, which is to the south of Great Scotland Yard.

Location: Great Scotland Yard, SW1A 2HN (red, yellow)

The Texan Legation

Running eastwards from St James's Street there is a passageway that leads to Pickering Place. Just within it there is a plaque that commemorates the Legation of the Republic of Texas to the Court of St James. The Legation occupied a building on the site during the years 1842-5.

Location: Pickering Place, SW1A 1EA (orange, purple)

Website: www.texas.gov

The Oklahoman Perspective

Admiral William Crowe served as the American Ambassador in Britain during the mid-1990s. While he was having a meeting with British business leaders, the issue of Northern Ireland came up. He was asked, What would you feel if Mexico took back Texas? Ambassador Crowe replied, I m from Oklahoma. We ve been trying to give Texas back to Mexico for a hundred years.

David Backhouse 2024