Arthur Henry Hardinge
Encyclopedia
Sir,Arthur Henry Hardinge (diplomat), G.C.M.G.,1910, K.C.B.,1904, (London
, 1859 -Mortlake
, Greater London, 1933, buried at St.Peter Churchyard, Fordcombe
, Kent
, England
), a fluent speaker of the Spanish and the French languages, was the son of General Hon. Sir Arthur Edward Hardinger, (1828–1892), C.I.E., K.C.B., Commander of the Bombay Army, 1881–1885, Governor of Gibraltar
, 1886–1890, studied Classics and Modern History at Balliol College, Oxford University, being in 1881 a Fellow of All Souls College starting work as a Junior Agent of the British Foreign Office, at Madrid
, Spain
,in 1883, under Ambassador Robert Morier, after getting around July 1880 a position with the Foreign Office, under the control of Lord Salisbury . When Robert Morier was appointed Ambassador to Saint Petersburg, Russia, he went there as his personal aid after having spent some time earlier with Lord Salisbury, too.
In 1887, he went to Istanbul
, Turkey
, under Sir William White, moving in 1890 to Bucharest
, Romania
. and to Cairo
, now in Egypt
, in 1891, under Sir Evelyn Baring accompanying the Russian Tsarevich trip to India afterwards.
In 1894 he was appointed Consul General to Zanzibar
being promoted to Colonial Head, 1895–1900, at the British East Africa Protectorate, later, after July 23, 1920, a part of Kenya Colony
and Protectorate, overseeing there the construction of a strategically railway to Uganda
and the crushing of an Arabic ethnic rebellion. In 1900 - 1906 he was made Minister to Persia, stressing the importance of stopping Tsarist Russia
on courting the political favours of the Persian government .
Concern by king Edward VII of England prompted him to accept a position at Brussels
, Minister to Belgium
,1906–1911, Minister to Portugal
, 1911–1913, and British Ambassador to Spain, 1913–1919, a neutral country in World War I
. There, he was frequented at Madrid
and Barcelona
by notorious widow literary woman and sister to the famous General Jose Millan Astray
, Pilar Millan Astray, who was running some sort of World War I spyionnage network in both places and took thus opportunities to read and transcribe faithfully his diplomate notes.
He retired in 1920 ,aged 61, but his sons Henry Arthur Mina Hardinge, (1905–1925) and George Granville Douglas Hardinge ,(1912–1927), died young.
He became the author of several books, including "Life of Lord Carnarvon" (1925) and two volumes of autobiography, "A Diplomatist in Europe" (1927) and "A Diplomatist in the East".
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, 1859 -Mortlake
Mortlake
Mortlake is a district of London, England and part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is on the south bank of the River Thames between Kew and Barnes with East Sheen inland to the south. Mortlake was part of Surrey until 1965.-History:...
, Greater London, 1933, buried at St.Peter Churchyard, Fordcombe
Fordcombe
Fordcombe is a village within the civil parish of Penshurst in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, England. The village is located on the northern slopes of the Weald, five miles west of Tunbridge Wells....
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
), a fluent speaker of the Spanish and the French languages, was the son of General Hon. Sir Arthur Edward Hardinger, (1828–1892), C.I.E., K.C.B., Commander of the Bombay Army, 1881–1885, Governor of Gibraltar
Governor of Gibraltar
The Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The Governor is appointed by the British Monarch on the advice of the British Government...
, 1886–1890, studied Classics and Modern History at Balliol College, Oxford University, being in 1881 a Fellow of All Souls College starting work as a Junior Agent of the British Foreign Office, at Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
,in 1883, under Ambassador Robert Morier, after getting around July 1880 a position with the Foreign Office, under the control of Lord Salisbury . When Robert Morier was appointed Ambassador to Saint Petersburg, Russia, he went there as his personal aid after having spent some time earlier with Lord Salisbury, too.
In 1887, he went to Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, under Sir William White, moving in 1890 to Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. and to Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, now in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, in 1891, under Sir Evelyn Baring accompanying the Russian Tsarevich trip to India afterwards.
In 1894 he was appointed Consul General to Zanzibar
Zanzibar
Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...
being promoted to Colonial Head, 1895–1900, at the British East Africa Protectorate, later, after July 23, 1920, a part of Kenya Colony
Kenya Colony
The Colony and Protectorate of Kenya was part of the British Empire in Africa. It was established when the former East Africa Protectorate was transformed into a British crown colony in 1920...
and Protectorate, overseeing there the construction of a strategically railway to Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
and the crushing of an Arabic ethnic rebellion. In 1900 - 1906 he was made Minister to Persia, stressing the importance of stopping Tsarist Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
on courting the political favours of the Persian government .
Concern by king Edward VII of England prompted him to accept a position at Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Minister to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
,1906–1911, Minister to Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, 1911–1913, and British Ambassador to Spain, 1913–1919, a neutral country in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. There, he was frequented at Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
and Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
by notorious widow literary woman and sister to the famous General Jose Millan Astray
José Millán Astray
José Millán-Astray y Terreros was a Spanish soldier, the founder and first commander of the Spanish Foreign Legion, and a major early figure of Francisco Franco's Regime in Spain.- Early life :...
, Pilar Millan Astray, who was running some sort of World War I spyionnage network in both places and took thus opportunities to read and transcribe faithfully his diplomate notes.
He retired in 1920 ,aged 61, but his sons Henry Arthur Mina Hardinge, (1905–1925) and George Granville Douglas Hardinge ,(1912–1927), died young.
He became the author of several books, including "Life of Lord Carnarvon" (1925) and two volumes of autobiography, "A Diplomatist in Europe" (1927) and "A Diplomatist in the East".