born Jan. 20, 1843, Paris, France
died May 29, 1924, Paris
French diplomat.
He worked in the civil service (1870–82) before entering the diplomatic service, in which he served as ambassador to Spain and Turkey. Appointed ambassador to Britain (1898–1920), he spent his first years in smoothing over Anglo-French relations. His efforts were crowned by the signing of the Entente Cordiale in 1904. During World War I he continued to play a vital role in cooperation between the two allies.