Background
Staal was born in March 1822 at Reval, Estonia, the son of a land-owner. After the Crimean War, he married a daughter of Prince Michael Gortschakoff.
Staal was born in March 1822 at Reval, Estonia, the son of a land-owner. After the Crimean War, he married a daughter of Prince Michael Gortschakoff.
He was educated privately and then at the University of Moscow.
Staal entered the Russian diplomatic service at the age of 23, when he joined the Asiatic Department. He was posted to Constantinople and was attached to Prince Michael Gortschakoff during the Crimean War. After the war, he was Consul-General at Budapest until 1859, when he transferred to Athens.
In 1864, he became Conseiller d"Ambassade to Constantinople.
In the 1870s and early 1880s, he was Minister at several German states, including Wuerttemberg, before being appointed Ambassador to the United Kingdom in 1884. He declined an offer to be Foreign Minister for Russia in 1896, owing to poor health.
He submitted his letters of recall as Ambassador in 1902. He died in Paris on 22 February 1907.
At his death, the correspondent at The Times wrote "it may be said that he had a very distinguished but uneventful career, for he gained and held with distinction one of the highest posts in the Russian diplomatic service without having ever taken a decisive part in any negotiations of first-rate importance."
Bibliography
The London Gazette, 28 October 1902, issue 27488, p.
6803
West. M. Shaw, Knights of England, volume i, 1906, p. 425 (London: Sherratt and Hughes)
"Death of Baron De Staal", The Times (London, England), 25 February 1907 (issue 38265), p. 8
National Probate Calendar, 1908, p.
248 (Stall baron Georges Gueorguievitch of 53 Rue de Varenne Paris France died 22 February 1907 Administration (with Will) London 13 May to baroness Sophie Mikhailovna Staal widow.
Effects £31133 5s.")
=.