在马戛尔尼之前英国也曾尝试派出使节团正式访华。应东印度公司要求，英国政府派出中校凯尔斯•卡特（Charles Cathcart, 1759-1788，又译作"加茨喀特"）以“调整有关不列颠与中国贸易上产生的困难问题”，“从中国皇帝处争取到一块贸易居留地”为使命进行出使准备。使团于1787年初开始筹备，同年12月21日自英国港口斯庇汉(Spithead）出发，但在1788年6月10日抵达苏门答腊附近的邦加海峡（Straits of Banka）时，特使凯尔斯•卡特因路途遥远猝然病逝，使团被迫折回。”

在东印度公司组织马戛尔尼使团前，广东官员曾向英国提出要求，派遣代表到北京贺寿。根据东印度公司的档案，1789年9月24日，行商Munqua，也就是"文官"，即万和行的蔡世文（1734-1796)，传来粤海关监督的消息，要与公司大班见面。第二天，广州东印度公司特选委员会主席哈里森（John Harrison，1721？-1794）及布鲁斯（A. Bruce）前往海关监督官衙会面。双方晤面时，粤海关监督提出第二年就是乾隆八十寿辰，希望所有在广州贸易的国家能委派两名成员，前赴北京贺寿。

特选委员会的日志显示，粤海关监督特别提出，由于英国是最受尊重的国家，因此想先听一下他们的意见，再去与其他外国人商议。哈里森提出，由于北京从来没有接待过外国商人，恐怕他们的代表在那里会被扣押，且在礼节方面担心要向皇帝行叩头礼。
粤海关监督向他们保证不会扣押公司代表，且沿途会热情接待，费用会由中方官员负责报销，但向皇帝叩头是必然的礼节。
哈里森回应，对于叩首礼，所有体面的外国人都不会同意，他们只肯以自己国家的礼仪来觐见皇帝。
最后，由于粤海关监督要求他们明确回应，布鲁斯表示同意去北京，条件是英方人员会得到良好的对待，不会贬低其地位。
海关监督对此很满意，并表示会向两广总督如实汇报。

广州特选委员会的报告于翌年5月送到东印度公司伦敦董事会，董事会对于公司广州方面的处理方式很不满，马上发出措辞相当严厉的谴责，认为他们的行为是懦弱的表现，错失让英国人直接到北京的机会。他们甚至强调，在外国宫廷行使外国礼仪，并不意味着任何屈辱；最后，他们指示特选委员会要立即回应，并预期可以很快从广州派遣代表出发。
在接到指示后，哈里森联同特选委员会向伦敦解释，他们从没有正式拒绝派人到北京，只是中方官员最终没有落实计划，还告诉一些外国商人无须前往北京。
就此英国政府重启派送使团的计划。

1792年4月，东印度公司的特派员从伦敦出发，并于9月20日抵达广州，向中方面递交了东印度公司董事长佛朗西斯•培林（Francis Baring，中文作"百灵"）爵士致两广总督的信件，告知英王乔治三世派遣全权特使马戛尔尼勋爵赴北京为乾隆补祝八十寿辰的消息。署两广总督郭世勋将此事上奏乾隆，还附上了他在广州找通事根据照会的拉丁文和英文原件各译出的中文一件；后来军机处又找在京的天主教传教士根据拉丁文原信重译了一遍，将原信中的语气和内容加以修改，比如“全权特使代表”改为“贡使”、“国礼”改为"贡物"；船队改成为“贡船”，将英国要求开放贸易的外交辞令改成朝贡国性质的谦卑辞令。

乾隆“阅其情词，极为恭顺恳挚”，龙颜大悦，不仅允许英使赴京而且还颇为重视，谕令沿海各省督抚“如遇该国贡船到口，即将该贡使及贡物等项，派委妥员，迅速护送进京，毋得稍有迟误”。乾隆帝甚至考虑到使团“或于贡船之便，携带货物前来贸易，亦事之所有”，认为“若在福建、江、浙等省口岸收泊，该处非若澳门地方，向有洋行承揽之人，可为议价交易，且该国来使与内地民人语言不通，碍难办理”。所以传谕浙江、福建、江南三省督抚，并且先期行文广东省，令“将该处行头通事人等，拣派数人预备。如该国贡船，于该三省进口时，带有贸易货物，即飞速行知广东，令将豫备之人，派员送到，以便为之说合交易”。又担心英国人语言不通，在与华人交易讲价时可能会吃亏，谕令督抚告知英使，“以浙江等省向无洋行经济，诚恐该国使人，不晓内地言语，讲论价值，不能谙悉，或有亏折之处。特调取广东澳门洋行熟手，为之经理，公平交易。俾其得沾余润，以示怀柔体恤之意”。

1792年9月25日，英方派遣爵士乔治•马戛尔尼正式出使中国。名义为补祝乾隆80大寿（乾隆生于1711年9月25日）。实际上目的是应东印度公司的要求尝试打开中国大门便于贸易。

使节团正式文职人员95人，其中包括大小官员50余人，附加随行人员800余人
正使：乔治•马戛尔尼勋爵（Lord George Macartney，1737～1806)
副使：乔治•伦纳德•斯当东爵士（“老斯当东”，Sir George Leonard Staunton，1737～1801）
主计员：约翰•巴罗爵士（Sir John Barrow，1764～1848）
乘坐船只：
64炮三级皇家战列舰“狮子号”，为使节团主要成员乘坐。
东印度公司货船“印度斯坦号”，负责运输国礼和部分公司贸易货物。
运输船“豺狼号”，负责沿途补给和侦查等各种杂活。

行程（粗略）：
使节团船队于1792年9月25日从英国港口普次茅斯（Portsmouth）出发
1793年6月20日抵达澳门海域后北上
7月3日到达舟山
7月25日于天津大沽口登岸，受到钦差大臣徵瑞迎接
8月11日陆路经通州，期间由通州协副将王文雄、天津道乔人杰保护随行
8月21日到达北京，于圆明园边上的宏雅园暂住，由和珅对接相关事物并陪同，随后转到内城。期间和中方一同安排将国礼全部安置于圆明园。
9月2日前往热河
9月14日（乾隆58年8月10日）于承德避暑山庄万树园觐见乾隆，并呈交乔治三世的国书。
9月17日万寿节于澹泊致诚殿随同王公大臣第二次觐见乾隆，并参与一系列活动
9月21日离开热河回到北京，随后得到中方官员暗示要求使节团尽快离开中国
10月7日使节团离开北京走京杭大运河南下，期间由时任军机大臣、户部侍郎松筠陪同前往杭州
11月9日抵达杭州
12月19日抵达广州
1794年1月8日从澳门启航回国
9月5日抵达伦敦

英王乔治三世写给乾隆的国书，装于金质礼盒中，由马戛尔尼直接递交给乾隆。
原文（纯英文版，由于字数限制分开两楼发）：
His Most Sacred Majesty George the Third, by the Grace of God King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, Sovereign of the Seas, Defender of the Faith and so forth, To the Supreme Emperor of China Kien-long worthy to live tens of thousands and tens of thousands thousand years, sendeth Greeting.
The natural disposition of a great and benevolent Sovereign, such as is Your Imperial Majesty, whom Providence has seated upon a Throne for the good of Mankind, is, to watch over the peace and security of his dominion, and to take pains for disseminating happiness, virtue and knowledge among his subjects, extending also the same beneficence with all the peaceful arts, as far as he is able, to the whole human race.
Impressed with such sentiments from the beginning of Our Reign when We found Our People engaged in War We granted to Our enemies, after obtaining Victories over them in the four quarters of the World the blessings of Peace upon the most equitable condition. Since that period not satisfied with promoting the prosperity of Our own subjects in every respect, and beyond the example of any former times We have taken various opportunities of fitting out Ships and sending in them some of the most wise and learned of Our Own People, for the discovery of distant and unkown region, not for the purpose of conquest, or of enlarging Our dominion which are already sufficiently extensive for all Our wishes, not for the purpose of acquiring wealth, or even of favoring the commerce of Our Subjects, but for the sake of increasing Our knowledge of the habitable Globe, of finding out the various production of the Earth, and for communicating the arts and comforts of life to those parts where they were hitherto little known; and We have since sent vessels with the animals and vegetables most useful to Man, to Islands and places where it appeared they had been wanting.

接上文，字数太多，再拆一楼
We have been still more anxious to enquire into the arts and manners of Countries where civilization has been perfected by the wise ordinances and virtuous examples of their Sovereigns thro a long series of ages; and above all, Our ardent wish had been to become acquainted with those celebrated institution of Your Majesty’s populous and extensive Empire which have carried its prosperity to such a height as to be the admiration of all surrounding Nation –
And now that We have by prudence and Justice avoided the calamities of War into which discord and ambition have plunged most of the other Kingdoms of Europe, and that by engaging Our Allies in Hindostan to put an end to hostilities occasioned by the attack of an ambious Neighbour, even when it was in Our power to destroy him, We have the happiness of being at peace with all the World, no time can be so propitious for extending the bounds of friendship and benebolence, and for proposing to communicate and receive those benefits which must result from an unreserved and amicable intercourse, between such great and civilzed Nation as China and Great Britain.
Many of Our subjects have also frequented for a long time past a remote part of Your Majesty’s dominion for the purpose of Trade. No doubt, the interchange of commodities between Nation distantly situated tends to their mutual convenience, industry and wealth, as the blessings which the Great God of Heaven has conferred upon various soils and climates are thus distributed among his Creatures scattered over the surface of the Earth.

接上文，继续拆楼
But such an intercourse requires to be properly conducted, so as that the new Comers may not infringe the laws and Customs of the Country they visit, and that on the other hand they may be received on terms of hospitality and meet the Justice and protection due to Strangers. We are indeed equally desirous to restrain Our Subjects from doing evil or even of shewing ill example in any foreign Country, as We are that [they] should receive no injury in it.
There is no method of effecting so good a purpose, but by the residence of a proper Person authorized by Us to regulate their conduct and to receive complaints against them whenever they should give occasion for any to be made against them, as well as any they might conider as having just cause to make of ill treatment towards them.
By such means every misunderstanding may be prevented, every inconveniences removed, a firm and lasting friendship cemented and a return of mutual good offices secured between our respective Empires.

All these conideration have determined Us to depute an Embassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Your Court, and willing to make choice for this purpose of a Person truly worthy of representing Us and of appearing before Your August Presence We have fixed upon Our right trusty and well-beloved Cousin and Counsellor the Right Honorable George Lord Viscount Macartney, Baron of Lissanoure and one of Our most honorable Privy Council of Our Kingdom of Great Britain, Knight of the most honorable order of the Bath and of the most ancient and royal order of the White Eagle, and Fellow of Our Royal Society of London for the promotion of natural knowledge, a Nobleman of high rank and quality, of great virtue, wisdom and ability, who has filled many important offices in the State of trust and honor, has already worthily represented Our Person in an Embassy to the Court of Russia, and has governed with mildness, justice and success, several of Our most coniderable possession in the Eastern and western Parts of the World, and appointed to the Government General of Bengal, to be Our Embassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Your Imperial Majesty with credentials under Our Great Seal of Our Kingdoms and Our Sign Manual, to whom We entreat Your Majesty to grant a gracious reception, as well as a favorable attention to his Representation.

And in order to avoid every possibility of interruption in this amicable communication which we wish to establish and maintain with Your sublime Person and Court, and which might happen after the departure of Our said Embassador Extraordinary whose presence may be necessary to Our Affairs elsewhere or in case of his death or ocassional absence from Your Capital, We have appointed Our trusty and well beloved Sir George Staunton, Bart., honorary Doctor of Laws of Our University of Oxford, and Fellow of Our Royal Society of London for the promotion of natural knowledge, whom We have appointed Our Secretary of Embassy under the direction of Our Embassador as a Gentleman of wisdom and knowledge who hath already served us with fidelity and zeal as a Member of Our honorable Council and Colonel of Militia in some of Our Dominion in the West Indies, and appointed by Us Our Attorney General in the same, and hath since exercised with ability and success the Office of Commissioner for treating and making Peace with Tippoo Sultaun, one of the most coniderable Princes of Hindostan, to be also Minister Plenipotentiary to Your August Person, with Credentials likewise under Our Great Seal, and for whom, in case of the death departure or occasional absence of Our said Embassador Extraordinary, We entreat in like manner Your Majesty’s gracious reception and attention to his Representation in Our name.