British Council and the FCO

The British Council promotes wider knowledge of the UK and the English language abroad, encourages co-operation with the UK (science, technology, culture, education). It is set up as a charity governed by Royal Charter (a formal document issued by a monarch) and sponsored by the FCO (often referred to informally as "The Foreign Office").  The head of the "Foreign Office" is the "Foreign Secretary" (more formally, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs). It is regarded as one of the four most prestigious positions in the Cabinet - Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary.