Background
Lascelles was born in London, the fifth son of the Honourable William Lascelles, third son of Henry Lascelles, 2nd Earl of Harewood. His mother was Lady Caroline Georgiana Howard, daughter of George Howard, 6th Earl of Carlisle.
Lascelles was born in London, the fifth son of the Honourable William Lascelles, third son of Henry Lascelles, 2nd Earl of Harewood. His mother was Lady Caroline Georgiana Howard, daughter of George Howard, 6th Earl of Carlisle.
He was educated at Harrow and joined the Diplomatic Service in 1861.
He served as Ambassador to both Russia and Germany. Lascelles served in junior positions at the British embassies in Madrid, Paris, Rome, Washington District of Columbia and Athens and was Consul-General in Egypt from 20 March to 10 October 1879, during the last years of the reign of Khedive Isma"il Pasha. In 1879 Lascelles became Consul-General in Bulgaria, which had been an autonomous principality since the Treaty of Berlin of 1878.
He served briefly as Ambassador to Russia between 1894 to 1895, but the latter year he was appointed to succeed Sir Edward Malet as Ambassador to Germany.
His tenure in Berlin saw the growing estrangement between Germany and the United Kingdom, and Lascelles notably had to deal with the effects of the Kruger telegram only days after his arrival. His relationship with Emperor William II were always cordial but he was known to resent the policies of Chancellor Bernhard von Bülow.
He resigned as Ambassador in 1908 but continued to exercise influence over Anglo-German relations up until the First World War. Lascelles was made a Knight Commander of the Order of Street Michael and Saint George in 1886, a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Street Michael and Street George in 1892, a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in 1897 and a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order in 1904.
He was admitted to the Privy Council in 1892.
Lascelles married Mary Emma Olliffe (1845–1897), daughter of Sir Joseph Francis Olliffe, in 1869. They had three children:
William Frank Lascelles (21 March 1863 – 8 March 1913), married Lady Sybil Beauclerk, daughter of William Beauclerk, 10th Duke of Street Albans. Gerald Claud Lascelles (19 July 1869 – 26 June 1919), married Cecil Raffo.
Florence Caroline Lascelles (27 January 1876 – 9 December 1961), married Sir Cecil Spring Rice.
He is buried in Brompton Cemetery, London.
Clubs: Travellers’, Saint James’s, Marylebone Cricket Club
Spouse 1867, Mary (daughter 1897),daughter of late Sir J. F. Olliffe, Doctor of Medicine Entered Diplomatic Service, 1861.