He was educated at Harrow School and at the University of Bonn. When eighteen years old, he went to the United States as private secretary of his uncle, Sir Henry Bulwer, who was Minister at Washington, DC.
He later was secretary at different courts in Europe and Minister to Portugal and France. From 1876 to 1880 he was Governor General of India.
He was made Earl of Lytton in 1880.
When twenty-five years old, he published in London a volume of poems under the name of Owen Meredith. He went on to publish several other volumes under the same name. The most popular one is "Lucile," a story in verse.
{| border="2" align="center"
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|width="30%" align="center"|Preceded by:
New Creation
|width="40%" align="center"|Earl of Lytton
|width="30%" align="center"|Followed by:
Victor Bulwer-Lytton
|}