Evening star., 1924-05-11
New British Embassy
Chatelaine to Reach
Capital in Few Days
Lady Isabella Howard
Among Most Distin-
guished Women to Pre-
side Over Household of
Ambassador Here.

1t is more than thirty years since the
British government elevated it's envoy
TO this Capital, Sir Julian Pauncefote
from the rank of minister to that of
ambassador. The social supremacy of
his Brittanic majesty's representative
and that of his household is embraced
IN these years. for with the exception of
Sir Edward and Lady Thornton, the
former the builder of the present EN-
bassy, British ministers were either
bachelors or unaccompanied by their
wives, and they paid court exclusively
to the treaty-making portion of the Of
hcialdom. Since 1898 and, indeed, some
ten years previous to that time, when
the Pauncefotes had come and at once
attained wide popularity. Washington
has acknowledged the importance of
the British envoy and his wife.
= Nine ambassadors have come to the
American Capital from Downing street.
and all except Lord Grey have brought
chatelaines for the stately embassy,
whose activities added brilliant chapters
TO its social history. Lady Spring-Rice,
II member of the LascalleS family, into
which Princess Mary of Britain recently
married, was among the grande danes
OF England who presided in the Con-
necucut avenue domlcile, and Mrs
James Bryce, now the widowed Wis
countess Bryce, was notable woman,
though not then a peereSS. Lady Michael
Herbert, who had a brief, though brill
liant regime, belonged TO the wilson
family of New York, and was closely
related to the VanderbiltS, Astors and
Goelets. But the wife of the ninth am
bassador Sir ESme William Howard, is
perhaps the most distinguished of all
those who have presided over the man
sion where the lion and the unicorn
guards the portico, and she has had the
widest and most interesting experiences.
But though both Sir Esme and Lady
Isabella Howard come of the most an
cient and honorable families of Britain,
and, in the case of Lady Isabella of
Italy, as WELL it will be doubtful if the
British embassy has ever known people
of simpler and quieter tastes, less fond
of formality and more prone to accept
true value in everything
Daughter of Italian Prince.
Lady Isabella Howard is the sixth
child of the late Prince Sigismond Mich
olaS GuiStaniani, who was besides,
Neopolitan Duke of Mondragone and
Umbrian Marchese Bandini in the Ro-
man states, besides being the British
Earl of Newburgh and Viscount Kin
naird of Scotland. She was born in
the old PalaZzo Bandini in the Corse,
where all the great ancestral homes
of Rome are situated, and she was
reared in the strict seclusion of her
class. Her marriage to young ESme
Howard took place in Rome in 1898,
while he was secretary of the British
embassy. But within a year, her
bridegroom had answered the call to
arms and had proceeded to the South
African war as a trooper in the i'm
perial yeomanry. 1t was during his
absence that the first son. Esme Jo-
seph Sigismond, was born in her ia
theirs home.
Since her marriage Lady Isabella
has lived the nomadic life of her hus-
bands profession, and there are few
sions adjacent to it where she does
not feel perfectly at home. Sir Esme
was consul general at Crete for sew
eral years and served in the same
role in Budapest before he returned
again to the diplomatic service
proper.
Here Prom 1906 TO 1908.
AS well remembered, Sir Es1ne and
Lady Isabella Howard were in Wash
ington in 19oe-oS, the former as the
counselor of the embassy under the
late James Bryce. The third son was
born in this period, 1907, Hubert John
Edward Dominic, and on that most
excellent of days, Christmas eve. The
second son, Francis, Philip, now max
bridge, had joined the family circle
two years previously and in the old
palazzo in Rome where Lady IsabellaS
brother, Prince Carlo Guistiniani
Bandini and Earl of Newburgh, now
reigns in the place of his father. Ed
mund Bernard Carlo, the fourth boy,
is a native of Budapest, and Henry
Anthony Camille, the youngest of this
interesting group and just turned
thirteen, was born in the quaint lit
tie capital city of Bern, Switzerland
Sir Esme was for many years and
world war the British minister to
Stockholm, and it was his excellent
work there that led to his promotion
to the embassy in Spain, where he was
the highest role to his former mis-
sion in Washington. Lady Isabella
was on terms Of close friendship
with Queen Victoria and her sojourn
and most interesting experiences.
since February, when Sir Esme re-
signed and went to London to make
ready for his American post she has
been living quietly with her two
Schools nearby. She has. however.
placed them in boarding school in
Kent and none of the children will
come to this country until towards
the end of June. when even then
will make the journey. Young Esme
has been studying at Oxford and he
shows considerable literary talent
and has been a frequent contributor
to the Oxford student publication.
Francis Philip spent some months in
this country several years ago and
has been elected in consequence of
his friendship and knowledge as
member of the American Club at
Cambridge. Lady Isabella Howard
is in her early forties, is of distin-
guished appearance and gracious man.
ner She will come direct to Wash
ington on 1rer arrival in New York
-. Aia.x