Marlborough House

Marlborough House, building in Pall Mall, London, housing the secretariat of the Commonwealth of Nations. The house was built by Sir Christopher Wren for John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough and was completed in 1711. In 1835 it reverted to the Crown and became the London home of the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) and afterwards of Queen Mary, until her death in 1953.

Marlborough House’s role in the Commonwealth began in 1959 when Queen Elizabeth II gave it to the secretariat as a centre for Commonwealth government conferences, although it was not officially opened as such until 1962. The Commonwealth secretariat is responsible to the Commonwealth governments. It is headed by a Secretary-General elected by Heads of Government. In 1996 Marlborough House was the workplace of around 350 people in technical, diplomatic (see Diplomacy), and service roles from over 25 Commonwealth countries.