In its early history, Britain was subjected to many
invasions and migrations from Scandinavia and the Continent. The Romans
occupied Britain for several centuries. The Normans, the last of a long
succession of invaders, conquered England in 1066.
Under the Normans,
pre-Celtic, Celtic, Roman, Anglo-Saxon and Norse influences blended
into the Briton of today. In addition to the ethnic groups indigenous to the
British Isles, immigration in the past few decades has added large numbers
of Africans, Europeans, and South Asians to the British
population. London, the capital,
is one of the largest cities in Europe and a center of international
commerce, education and the arts.
The London diplomatic corps consists of about 2,000 members and the consular
corps has some 125. Each November, the Queen hosts a formal evening
reception at Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle for Heads of Mission and