Lectures

Each year the House hosts two Lectures.


The Annual Lecture was established in 1978 and has continued under the generous sponsorship of Rio Tinto. The purpose of these Lectures is to develop a subject already under discussion in the House programme of Consultations. A specialist speaker is invited to offer their own thoughts in a way that will promote further discussion and debate.

The first Lecture was given by Mr Kingman Brewster, the then Ambassador of the USA in London. Since then Lecturers have included a wide range of public figures and the lectures themselves have been strongly attended. The text of each Annual Lecture is published in the Annual Review of that year. If you click on the Annual Lecture tab you will find Lecture titles going back to 1999 and some scripts are available to download as pdf and mp3.


The Elson Ethics Lecture has been founded to promote discussion and debate on issues of an ethical and moral nature. This lecture series has come about through the vision and generosity of Ambassador Edward Elson.

The Ambassador was educated at Philips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, and at the University of Virginia. He served as United States Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark from 1993 to 1998, when he was awarded the Great Cross of the Order of Dannenborg by Queen Margrethe II, the highest decoration which can be given to a non-head of state. He is also the only non-Dane to be awarded the Merkenom Prize for the individual who has made the most significant contribution to the economic life of Denmark. The Ambassador served on the Council of St George's House from 2002 to 2008.