Pedro Serrano, Ambassador for the European Union, presents his Letters of Credence to HM King Charles III

H.E. Mr Pedro Antonio Serrano, who took up his new position in December last year, presented his ‘Letters of Credence’ at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, 21 February.

Ambassador Serrano is the second EU ambassador to the court of St. James’s and the first to present his credentials to HM King Charles III.

As per British diplomatic tradition, Ambassador Pedro Serrano, his wife Ana and four senior EU diplomats were collected from Europe House in two royal ceremonial horse-drawn carriages, the State Landaus, and conveyed to the palace for a meeting with HM The King. Alistair Harrison CMG CVO, His Majesty's Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps accompanied the diplomats to Buckingham Palace. Sir Philip Barton, Permanent Under-Secretary at FCDO attended the credentials ceremony.

Following the ceremony, Ambassador Serrano welcomed Minister Chris Heaton Harris, representatives of the UK Administration and of British civil society as well as members of the diplomatic community and EU officials to a Vin d’Honneur at Europe House. Raising his glass to HM the King, Ambassador Serrano underscored the deep and strong links between the European Union, its Member States and the United Kingdom and reiterated his strong commitment to work to further strengthen EU-UK ties. He recalled how the EU and the UK joined forces in supporting Ukraine militarily, economically and diplomatically from the very first day of Russia‘s aggression. 

Speaking alongside Ambassador Serrano, The Vice Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps, Victoria Busby OBE, addressed the audience with a warm congratulatory speech. She said: “I know that you have a number of commendably ambitious goals, worthy of an experienced and distinguished diplomat. We realise that having you here is a testimony to a wish to deepen our relationship even further.”

Prior to this posting, Pedro Serrano worked as Chief of Staff to the European Union’s High Representative for foreign affairs and security policy and European Commission Vice President Josep Borrell Fontelles until October 2022. His previous roles also include those of Deputy Secretary General for Common Security and Defence Policy and Crisis Response at the European External Action Service (EEAS). Pedro Serrano was also the first EU Ambassador to the United Nations, in New York, after the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty. See here for more.