Lord Lyons, the new British Ambassador, presents his credentials to President Buchanan in Washington

Lord Lyons, whose family name was Richard Bickerton Pernell, arrived in Washington to replace the retiring Lord Napier. This was the 41 year old career diplomat's first important assignment in what was to be fifty years of service to the British Foreign Office. He was in Washington throughout the Civil War and was particularly praised for his tact and firmness during the dangerous Trent Affair. He left Washington in the spring of 1865 and later spent twenty years as minister to Paris. (By John Osborne)