Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst, (20 June 1858 – 2 August 1944) was a British diplomat and statesman who served as

Viceroy and Governor-General of India The Governor-General of India (1773–1950, from 1858 to 1947 the Viceroy and Governor-General of India, commonly shortened to Viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom and after Indian independence in 19 ...

from 1910 to 1916.

Background and education

Hardinge was the second son of

Charles Hardinge, 2nd Viscount Hardinge Charles Stewart Hardinge, 2nd Viscount Hardinge (2 September 1822 – 28 July 1894), was a British Conservative politician. Hardinge was the son of Field Marshal Henry Hardinge, 1st Viscount Hardinge, and Lady Emily Jane Stewart, daughter of ...

, and the grandson of

Henry Hardinge, 1st Viscount Hardinge Henry Hardinge, 1st Viscount Hardinge, (30 March 1785 – 24 September 1856) was a British Army officer and politician. After serving in the Peninsular War and the Waterloo Campaign he became Secretary at War in Wellington's ministry. After ...

, a former

Governor-General of India The Governor-General of India (1773–1950, from 1858 to 1947 the Viceroy and Governor-General of India, commonly shortened to Viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom and after Indian independence in 1 ...

. He was educated Cheam School,

Harrow School (The Faithful Dispensation of the Gifts of God) , established = (Royal Charter) , closed = , type = Public schoolIndependent schoolBoarding school , religion = Church of E ...

and at

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...

Career

An assassination attempt on Lord Charles Hardinge

Hardinge entered the diplomatic service in 1880. He was appointed the first secretary at Tehran in 1896, and the first secretary at

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

in 1898, when he was promoted over the heads of seventeen of his seniors. While in Russia, he acted as

Chargé d'affaires A ''chargé d'affaires'' (), plural ''chargés d'affaires'', often shortened to ''chargé'' (French) and sometimes in colloquial English to ''charge-D'', is a diplomat who serves as an embassy's chief of mission in the absence of the ambassador ...

in the ambassador's absence (including in late 1902). After a brief tenure as Assistant Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, he became Ambassador to Russia, in 1904. In 1906, he was promoted to the position of

Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office This is a list of Permanent Under-Secretaries in the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (and its predecessors) since 1790. Not to be confused with Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. Permanent Unde ...

, where, despite his own conservatism, worked closely with

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

Foreign Secretary The secretary of state for foreign, Commonwealth and development affairs, known as the foreign secretary, is a minister of the Crown of the Government of the United Kingdom and head of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Seen as ...

Sir Edward Grey Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon, (25 April 1862 – 7 September 1933), better known as Sir Edward Grey, was a British Liberal statesman and the main force behind British foreign policy in the era of the First World War. An adhe ...

. In 1907, he declined the post of

Ambassador to the United States The following table lists ambassadors to the United States, sorted by the representative country or organization. See also *Ambassadors of the United States Notes {{reflist, 30em External linksCurrent and former Ambassadors to the United Sta ...

. In 1910, Hardinge was raised to the peerage as Baron Hardinge of Penshurst, in the County of

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, and appointed by the

Asquith Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, (12 September 1852 – 15 February 1928), generally known as H. H. Asquith, was a British statesman and Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of ...

government as

Viceroy of India The Governor-General of India (1773–1950, from 1858 to 1947 the Viceroy and Governor-General of India, commonly shortened to Viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom and after Indian independence in 19 ...

Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst, and Winifred Selina, née Sturt, Lady Hardinge of Penshurst

His tenure was a memorable one, and included the visit of

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Que ...

, and the

Delhi Durbar The Delhi Durbar ( lit. "Court of Delhi") was an Indian imperial-style mass assembly organized by the British at Coronation Park, Delhi, India, to mark the succession of an Emperor or Empress of India. Also known as the Imperial Durbar, it was ...

of 1911, as well as the move of the capital from

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...

, in 1911. Although Hardinge was the target of assassination attempts with bomb attack by Indian nationalists Rashbehari Bose and Sachin Sanyal, his tenure included an improvement of relations between the British administration and the nationalists, as a consequence of the implementation of the

Morley-Minto reforms The Indian Councils Act 1909, commonly known as the Morley–Minto or Minto–Morley Reforms, was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that brought about a limited increase in the involvement of Indians in the governance of British In ...

of 1909; and of Hardinge's own admiration for

Mohandas Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

and criticism of the

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

n government's anti-Indian immigration policies.. Hardinge founded the

Dhamrai Hardinge High School and College Dhamrai Hardinge School & College ( bn, ধামরাই হার্ডিজ্ঞ উচ্চ বিদ্যালয় ও কলেজ) in a school in Dhamrai, Dhaka, Bangladesh. History The school was established in 1914 as Dhamrai ...

in 1914. The Hardinge Railway bridge in Bangladesh was constructed and inaugurated (1915) in his tenure. It continues to serve a crucial a role in the country's railway network even today. Hardinge's efforts paid off in 1914 during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. Due to improved colonial relationships, Britain was able to deploy nearly all of the British troops in India as well as many native Indian troops to areas outside of India. In particular the

British Indian Army The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which co ...

was able to play a significant (though initially mismanaged) role in the

Mesopotamian campaign The Mesopotamian campaign was a campaign in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I fought between the Allies represented by the British Empire, troops from Britain, Australia and the vast majority from British India, against the Central Powe ...

. In 1916, Hardinge returned to his former post in England as Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office, serving with

Arthur Balfour Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, (, ; 25 July 184819 March 1930), also known as Lord Balfour, was a British Conservative Party (UK), Conservative statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1902 to 1905. As F ...

. In 1920 he became ambassador to

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

before his retirement in 1922.

Orders

As well as the distinction of being awarded 6 British knighthoods, he also gained foreign awards : * Knight of Grace of Order of St. John of Jerusalem in England. * Grand officer in the Legion of Honour, from France. *

Grand cross of the Crown of Italy The Order of the Crown of Italy ( it, Ordine della Corona d'Italia, italic=no or OCI) was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate the unification of Italy in 1861. It was awarded in five degrees for civi ...

. *

Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa The Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa (also known as The Order of Our Lady of Conception of Vila Vicosa; pt, Ordem de Nossa Senhora da Conceição de Vila Viçosa) is a dynastic order of knighthood of the House of Braganza, the f ...

, from Portugal. *

Order of the Redeemer The Order of the Redeemer ( el, Τάγμα του Σωτήρος, translit=Tágma tou Sotíros), also known as the Order of the Saviour, is an order of merit of Greece. The Order of the Redeemer is the oldest and highest decoration awarded by the ...

, from Greece. *

Order of Charles III The Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III, originally Royal and Much Distinguished Order of Charles III ( es, Real y Distinguida Orden Española de Carlos III, originally es, Real y Muy Distinguida Orden de Carlos III) was establ ...

, from Spain. * Order of St. Olav, from Norway. *

Order of Alexander Nevsky The Order of Alexander Nevsky ( ''orden Alexandra Nevskogo'') is an order of merit of the Russian Federation named in honour of saint Alexander Nevsky (1220–1263) and bestowed to civil servants for twenty years or more of highly meritorious se ...

, from Russia. *

Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog ( da, Dannebrogordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single class known a ...

, from Denmark. *

Order of Vasa The Royal Order of Vasa () is a Swedish order of chivalry, awarded to citizens of Sweden for service to state and society especially in the fields of agriculture, mining and commerce. It was instituted on 29 May 1772 by King Gustav III. It was u ...

, from Sweden.

Personal life

HardingeFamily oxCart Mahubabad-Hyderabad(state) 1911

He married his first cousin Winifred Selina Sturt on 17 April 1890, over the objections of her family, due to the couple's consanguinity and Hardinge's financial status. She was the second daughter of Henry Gerard Sturt, first Baron Alington, by his first wife Lady Augusta Bingham, who was the first daughter of George Charles Bingham, third Earl of Lucan. The couple had a daughter, Diamond Hardinge (1900-1927), and two sons, Edward and

Alexander Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...

(1894–1960), who succeeded him as Baron Hardinge of Penshurst. The first Baron Hardinge of Penshurst is commemorated at St John the Baptist, Penshurst. His eldest son, The Hon. Edward Hardinge, died 18 December 1914, aged 22, from wounds while serving as a Lieutenant with the 15th (The King's) Hussars in France. He was also the godson of

Alexandra of Denmark Alexandra of Denmark (Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia; 1 December 1844 – 20 November 1925) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 22 January 1901 to 6 May 1910 as the wife of King ...

. Diamond Hardinge was a bridesmaid at the

wedding of Prince Albert, Duke of York, and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon The wedding of Prince Albert, Duke of York, and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon took place on 26 April 1923 at Westminster Abbey. The couple were later known as King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Courtship and proposals Prince Alb ...

on 3 May 1923.

Styles and honours

Hardinge had the unusual distinction of being a non-royal recipient of six British knighthoods. *June 1858 – July 1895: ''

The Honourable ''The Honourable'' (British English) or ''The Honorable'' (American English; see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific style that is used as a prefix before the names or titles of certain ...

'' Charles Hardinge *July 1895 – April 1903: ''The Honourable'' Charles Hardinge *April 1903 – 7 March 1904: ''The Honourable'' Charles Hardinge *7–26 March 1904: ''

The Right Honourable ''The Right Honourable'' ( abbreviation: ''Rt Hon.'' or variations) is an honorific style traditionally applied to certain persons and collective bodies in the United Kingdom, the former British Empire and the Commonwealth of Nations. The term is ...

'' Charles Hardinge *26 March – 28 April 1904: ''The Right Honourable''

Sir ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as ...

Charles Hardinge *28 April – 10 May 1904: ''

His Excellency Excellency is an honorific style (manner of address), style given to certain high-level officers of a sovereign state, officials of an international organization, or members of an aristocracy. Once entitled to the title "Excellency", the holder ...

The Right Honourable'' Sir Charles Hardinge *10 May 1904 – 2 January 1905: ''His Excellency The Right Honourable'' Sir Charles Hardinge *2 January – 9 November 1905: ''His Excellency The Right Honourable'' Sir Charles Hardinge *9 November 1905 – June 1906: ''The Right Honourable'' Sir Charles Hardinge *June 1906 – 23 June 1910: ''The Right Honourable'' Sir Charles Hardinge *23 June – 2 August 1910: ''The Right Honourable'' Sir Charles Hardinge *2 August – 23 November 1910: ''The Right Honourable'' The Lord Hardinge of Penshurst *23 November 1910 – 24 March 1916: ''His Excellency The Right Honourable'' The Lord Hardinge of Penshurst Viceroy & Governor-General of India *24 March – 4 April 1916: His Excellency ''The Right Honourable'' The Lord Hardinge of Penshurst Viceroy & Governor-General of India *4 April 1916 – 27 November 1920: ''The Right Honourable'' The Lord Hardinge of Penshurst *27 November 1920 – 1 February 1923: ''His Excellency The Right Honourable'' the Lord Hardinge of Penshurst HM Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary to the French Republic *1 February 1923 – 2 August 1944: ''The Right Honourable'' The Lord Hardinge of Penshurst

Books written

* Old Diplomacy * My Indian Years covers (1910-16)

References

Sources

* * *

Articles

External links

Hardinge of Penshurst, Baron (UK, 1910), genealogy
* * * Hardinge's entry at ''

Who's Who ''Who's Who'' (or ''Who is Who'') is the title of a number of reference publications, generally containing concise biography, biographical information on the prominent people of a country. The title has been adopted as an expression meaning a gr ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Hardinge Of Penshurst, Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Viceroys of India 1910s in British India Members of HM Diplomatic Service 1858 births 1944 deaths Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Barons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Companions of the Imperial Service Order Deputy Lieutenants of Kent Diplomatic peers Knights of the Garter Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Younger sons of viscounts Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Russia Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to France Permanent Under-Secretaries of State for Foreign Affairs People from Penshurst Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Barons created by George V 19th-century British diplomats 20th-century British diplomats People educated at Harrow School