Catalogue description Foreign Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Embassy, South Africa: Registered Files

The Union of South Africa became a republic in May 1961, and withdrew from the Commonwealth. Responsibility for British relations with South Africa remained with the Commonwealth Relations Office until December of that year, when the Foreign Office assumed responsibility. The High Commissioner in post in May 1961 became the first British ambassador to South Africa, based in Pretoria. From 1964 to date the embassy (later the High Commission) was located at Cape Town from January to June, and at Pretoria for the rest of the year. This series contains records produced on both sites, and some files to which papers have been added bearing both Cape Town and Pretoria registry stamps, or joint embassy stamps.