Relations between the United Kingdom and Brazil existed long before the first British Ambassador, Sir Robert Gordon, took over the post in Rio de Janeiro a little while after Brazil's Independence.

In 22 January 1808, the Portuguese Royal Family arrived in Brazil escorted by the British Royal Navy. D. João VI had decided to transfer the royal court to Brazil when Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Portugal and was heading to Lisbon. When the Prince Regent arrived in Brazil, the ports were opened to friendly nations and, as a consequence, commercial relations between the UK and Brazil were established.

1808 was the beginning of significant British engagement in Brazil: the UK played a very important role in negotiating the terms of Portuguese recognition of Brazilian Independence; in the pressure to ban slave trade; with the Rothschild family acting as the bankers of the Imperial and the Brazilian Governments; and in the construction of railways, the undersea telegraph, etc.

Physical presence

In 1941, the British Embassy was transferred to Praia do Flamengo, the current location of the British Consulate-General Rio de Janeiro.

The first residence of the British Ambassador began to be built in 1947 and Sir Nevil Butler moved to the new address in June 1950. The mansion, in Georgian style, was sold to the city of Rio de Janeiro in 1974 and became the "City Palace", the official residence of the mayor of Rio.

In 1960, the Brazilian capital was officially transferred from Rio de Janeiro to Brasilia and, in June 1983, the the Embassy and the Official Residence were inaugurated.

Today in Brazil, in addition to the British Embassy in Brasilia and the Consulate-Generals in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, the UK has 12 honorary consulates in 12 different cities and 4 commercial offices. (Learn more about the Honorary Consulates and British Commercial Offices in Brazil).