Lord Dufferin, an Irish nobleman (his family seat in Ireland was Candeboye) had a brilliant wit and was also a great speaker, writer, courtier and diplomat. The posts which he adorned included British Commissioner in Syria (1860), Under Secretary for India (1864-1866), Under Secretary of War (1866), Governor General of Canada (1872-1878), ambassador to St. Petersburg (1879), ambassador to Turkey (1881) and Viceroy of India (1884-1888).

He was also the author of Letters from High Latitudes, an account of a voyage to Iceland on his yacht, Foam.

[From the album of Elizabeth Van Der Weyer, the American wife of the Belgian Ambassador to the Court of St. James.]