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---
title: British Embassy Apologizes For Tweet About Burning Down White House
description: The British Embassy apologized for tweeting a joke about burning down the White House in honor of the 200th anniversary
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author: Laura Stampler
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article:published_time: 2014-08-25T15:04:44.000Z
article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:12:43.560Z
og:title: The British Embassy apologized for tweeting about burning down the White House
og:description: Umm… jk?
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twitter:title: The British Embassy apologized for tweeting about burning down the White House
twitter:description: Umm… jk?
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# The British Embassy Apologized For Tweeting About Burning Down the White House

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by 

[Laura Stampler](https://time.com/author/laura-stampler/)


## Laura Stampler


Aug 25, 2014 3:04 PM UTC

by 

[Laura Stampler](https://time.com/author/laura-stampler/)


## Laura Stampler


Aug 25, 2014 3:04 PM UTC

Two hundred years ago Sunday, August, 24, when America and the United Kingdom were enmeshed in the War of 1812, some Brits burned the White House to the ground.

So how did the British Embassy in America decide to celebrate this bicentennial — which [some historians attribute as the turning point of the war](http://time.com/3154675/white-house-burning-war-1812/)? By joking about burning it down again, of course.

> [](https://twitter.com/ukinusa/status/503668849750056960)

Shortly after realizing that putting sparklers on a White House cake was perhaps in poor taste, The Embassy’s Twitter account apologized for its tone deaf tweet:

> [](https://twitter.com/UKinUSA/status/503703891238993920)

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