Castlereagh, Robert Stewart, Viscount 1769-1822
British politician

Born in Dublin, the son of an Ulster proprietor who in 1816 became Marquis of Londonderry, he was educated at Armagh and Cambridge (for one year) and entered the Irish Parliament in 1790 as Whig member for County Down. In 1795 he turned Tory, although he remained in favour of Catholic emancipation. As Irish Chief Secretary from 1797 he devoted himself to promoting William Pitt, the Younger's measure of union, but, with Pitt, retired from office when Pitt's Catholic pledges were defeated. As War Minister (1806-07, 1807-09), he was made scapegoat for the failed Walcheren expedition, the dispute ending in a duel with George Canning in which Canning was slightly wounded. In 1812 he achieved recognition as Foreign Secretary under Lord Liverpool, as well as the post of Leader of the House of Commons, but was responsible for introducing into the Commons the unpopular measures of the reactionary Home Secretary Lord Sidmouth. After working at the heart of the coalition against Napoleon I (1813-14), Castlereagh also represented England at Chaumont and Vienna (1814-15), Paris (1815), and Aix-la-Chapelle (1818). He advocated 'Congress diplomacy' among the great powers, to avoid further warfare. Believing that he was being blackmailed for homosexuality, he committed suicide. Great Britain and Europe were indebted to him for the 40 years of peace that succeeded Napoleon I's downfall, yet few politicians have been so disliked, and a shout of joy was given as his coffin was carried into Westminster Abbey.