Private Tour of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
King Charles Street, London SW1A 2AH
Thursday 22nd October 2026 at 5.00pm
The Foreign Secretary’s Office
The building was completed in 1868 when Britain was at the height of colonial power and no expense was spared, inside or out. It was built by George Gilbert Scott in partnership with Matthew Digby Wyatt, who designed 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 impressive exterior, with its white Portland stone façade featuring balustrades, columns, sculptures of former monarchs and politicians and allegorical figures of Law, gives no hint of the lavish interior lurking inside. This grand building hosts the Locarno Suite, originally designed for diplomatic banquets. We will see the gilded barrel-vaulted ceiling of the Cabinet Room (now known as the Grand Reception Room), the grand staircases, the striking Durbar Court richly decorated with marble statues and catch a glimpse of number 10 Downing Street. And, if we are lucky, we may step inside the Foreign Secretary’s Office where we can look directly onto Horse Guards Parade.
Arrangements: The tour will take about one and a half hours. We will be divided into two groups of 15.
We meet at the Entrance in King Charles Street promptly at 4.45pm. The road is off Whitehall near the Cenotaph. You will need to bring photographic ID.
Cost: £10 per person
Please note that no booking is confirmed until payment is received.
Please complete the Application form and return it to:
Robina Holmes
5 Peaks Hill
Purley
Surrey
CR8 3JG
Tel: 020 8660 5412 E-mail: me@robinaholmes.co.uk