Formation 8 August 1941 | ||
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Nominator The President of the United States Inaugural holder Lincoln MacVeagh
as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Website U.S. Embassy - Reykjavík | ||
Until 1874, Iceland was a dependency of Denmark rather than an independent nation. In 1874, Denmark granted Iceland home rule, which again was expanded in 1904. In 1918, The Act of Union, an agreement between Denmark, recognised Iceland as a fully sovereign state united with Denmark under a common king. Iceland established its own flag and asked that Denmark represent its foreign affairs and defense interests. Thus the United States Ambassador to Denmark conducted foreign relations between the United States and Iceland.
German occupation of Denmark on 9 April 1940, severed communications between Iceland and Denmark. As a result, on 10 April the Parliament of Iceland elected to take control of foreign affairs into its own hands. The US commissioned Lincoln MacVeagh, its first ambassador to Iceland on 8 August 1941. MacVeagh presented his credentials to the foreign minister of Iceland on 30 September 1941. His title was Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary. The US has maintained continuous diplomatic relations with Iceland since then.
Following a plebiscite, Iceland formally became an independent republic on 17 June 1944.