Ambassadors-at-Large

from the United Kingdom are accredited to the Court of St. James’s (referring to St. James’s Palace). Incidentally this carried some confusion among our compatriots. When my father was appointed Ambassador to the Court of St. James in the fifties, our friends and relatives could not associate this posting with the United Kingdom, which of course it was.

The diplomat representing the Holy See is titled a Nuncio. In diplomatic usage, both the high commissioner and nuncio are considered equivalent in rank and role to an ambassador. Resident Coordinators within the United Nations system are accredited to the Head of State and have the same rank as ambassador. The Vatican is so zealous of its detachment and independence from the Republic of Italy that it will never allow a country to do a dual posting for an ambassador to the two political entities however convenient this may be for the posting country. The Philippines was, therefore, forced to have two diplomatic missions in Italy—one to the Vatican and one to the Republic.

Ambassadors-at-Large

An ambassador-at-large is a highest ranking diplomat or a minister accredited to represent his or her country in several usually neighboring countries, a region or sometimes a seat of international organizations such as the United Nations or European Union. An ambassador-at-large may even be specifically assigned a role to advise and assist the state or government in particular issues. These appointments differentiate him or her from the ambassador-inresidence, who is usually limited to a country or embassy.

In the past, heads of states have commissioned special diplomatic envoys for specific assignments, primarily overseas, but sometimes also within the country as ambassadors-at-large. It is important to note,