List of high commissioners of the United Kingdom to Brunei

High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to Brunei
Royal Arms of His Majesty's Government
Incumbent Alexandra McKenzie since August 2024[1]
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office British High Commission, Bandar Seri Begawan
Style	His Excellency
Reports to	Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
Residence	Bandar Seri Begawan
Appointer	The Crown on advice of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Term length	At His Majesty's pleasure
Precursor	British Resident
Inaugural holder	Dennis Charles White First High Commissioner to Brunei
Formation	29 September 1959
Website	British High Commission – Bandar Seri Begawan

The High Commissioner from the United Kingdom to Brunei is the United Kingdom's foremost diplomatic representative in Brunei, and in charge of the United Kingdom's diplomatic mission in Brunei.

History

Main articles: History of Brunei and Brunei–United Kingdom relations

Brunei was a British protectorate from 1888 until the state gained full independence on 1 January 1984. As fellow members of the Commonwealth of Nations, the United Kingdom and Brunei exchange High Commissioners rather than ambassadors. In 1958 the constitution was changed, the post of British Resident was abolished and the full on British High Commission for Brunei was established.[2] Sir Dennis Charles White, who had been appointed as Resident the previous year, became the first High Commissioner under the new Constitution.[3]

List of high commissioners

No.	Name	Took office	Left office	Monarch	Ref
1	Dennis Charles White	29 September 1959	31 March 1963	Elizabeth II	[4]
2	Angus MacKay Mackintosh	1 April 1963	9 December 1963		[5][4]
3	Edgar Ord Laird	9 December 1963	1965		[6][7]
4	Fernley Douglas Webber	1 August 1965	October 1967		[8][9]
5	Arthur Robin Adair	December 1967	January 1972		[10][11]
6	Peter Gautrey	12 January 1972	14 January 1975		[12]
7	James Alfred Davidson	January 1975	1978		[13]
8	Arthur Christopher Watson	October 1978	31 December 1983		[14][15]
9	Robert Francis Cornish	6 November 1983	5 August 1986		[16]
10	Roger Westbrook	1986	1991		[16]
11	Adrian Sindall	1991	1994		[16]
12	Ivan Roy Callan	1994	1998		[16]
13	Stuart Laing	1998	2002		[17]
14	Andrew Caie	January 2002	2005		[18][17]
15	John Saville	2005	2009		[19]
16	Rob Fenn	2009	2013		[20]
17	David Campbell	2013	2017		[21]
18	Richard Lindsay	2017	2020		[22][23]
19	John Virgoe	August 2020	August 2024		[24][25]
20	Alexandra McKenzie	August 2024	present	Charles III

See also

• List of administrators of British Brunei
• Brunei–United Kingdom relations
• Foreign relations of Brunei
• List of high commissioners of Brunei to the United Kingdom

References

1. https://www.gov.uk/government/people/alexandra-mckenzie
2. "No. 41831". The London Gazette. 29 September 1959. p. 6136.
3. Colonial Governors, David P. Henige, 1970,page 103
4. Office, Great Britain Colonial (1965). Brunei. H.M. Stationery Office. p. 14.
5. "Sir Dennis Sahabat Yang Karib" (PDF). Pelita Brunei. 3 April 1963. p. 1.
6. Sidhu, Jatswan S. (22 December 2009). Historical Dictionary of Brunei Darussalam. Scarecrow Press. pp. xxxvi. ISBN 978-0-8108-7078-9.
7. Office, Great Britain Diplomatic Service Administration (1966). The Diplomatic Service List. H.M. Stationery Office. p. 129.
8. Office, Great Britain Diplomatic Service Administration (1967). The Diplomatic Service List. H.M. Stationery Office. p. 141.
9. Sidhu, Jatswan S. (22 December 2009). Historical Dictionary of Brunei Darussalam. Scarecrow Press. pp. xxxvi. ISBN 978-0-8108-7078-9.
10. Office, Great Britain Diplomatic Service Administration (1968). The Diplomatic Service List. H.M. Stationery Office. p. 141.
11. Horton, A. V. M. (1 January 2011). "Negara Brunei Darussalam: obituary 2010-2011". Borneo Research Bulletin. 42: 54–89.
12. Office, Great Britain Diplomatic Service Administration (1975). The Diplomatic Service List. H.M. Stationery Office. p. 152. ISBN 978-0-11-591636-6.
13. "James Davidson". Times Newspapers. 3 June 2004. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
14. "Brunei Administrators". British Empire. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
15. Banks, Arthur S. (1980). Political handbook of the world. McGraw-Hill. p. 87. ISBN 978-0-07-003626-0.
16. The Diplomatic Service list 2006. p. 75.
17. "Ambassadors". Hansard. 1 September 2003. Retrieved 23 July 2009.
18. "- CHANGE OF AMBASSADOR AT SKOPJE - CHANGE OF HIGH COMMISSIONER TO BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN - MINISTERIAL ENGAGEMENTS". www.wired-gov.net. 7 September 2001. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
19. Turner, B. (12 January 2017). The Statesman's Yearbook 2010: The Politics, Cultures and Economies of the World. Springer. p. 232. ISBN 978-1-349-58632-5.
20. Turner, B. (12 January 2017). The Statesman's Yearbook 2012: The Politics, Cultures and Economies of the World. Springer. p. 238. ISBN 978-1-349-59051-3.
21. Change of High Commissioner to Brunei Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, 23 May 2013
22. "Change of British High Commissioner to Brunei". Foreign & Commonwealth Office. 19 December 2016.
23. "Foreign diplomats express delight at Istana invitation". Borneo Bulletin. 28 June 2017.
24. "Change of British High Commissioner to Brunei: August 2020". Foreign & Commonwealth Office. 11 June 2020.
25. Scoop, The (10 June 2020). "UK announces new envoy for Brunei". The Scoop. Retrieved 8 February 2024.

External links

• British High Commission Bandar Seri Begawan