Earl of James Bruce Elgin

Born in 1811, James Bruce became the 8th Earl of Elgin and built a public career that took him across the British Empire. He was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford, and went on to serve in several senior colonial and diplomatic posts.

He was Governor of Jamaica, then Governor General of the Province of Canada from 1847 to 1854, where he worked with the developing system of responsible government. Later he was sent on major diplomatic missions to China and Japan, helping negotiate treaties during a period of intense foreign pressure in East Asia.

In 1862 he became Viceroy of India, but his final appointment was short. He died in 1863 while traveling in the Himalayas. His reputation is still debated today, especially because he was the British high commissioner during the campaign in China that ended with the destruction of Beijing's Old Summer Palace.