In 1877, he became the first high commissioner of South Africa with the task of uniting the British and Dutch South African republics into a single British-run Federation. Opposed by Boer settlers in the Transvaal and by Zulu tribes, Frere tried to destroy the Zulus by provoking a war with them in 1879. Following early British losses, Frere was recalled to England and publicly criticized in 1880.

Lutyens, Sir Edwin Landseer (1869-1944), was one of the most important English architects of the early 1900's. His designs show the influence of Palladian Revival and other English architectural styles of the 1700's. Lutyens first became prominent for country houses he designed with the English landscape architect Gertrude Jekyll.

Their best-known country houses included Munstead Wood (1896) near Godalming, Surrey, and Deanery Garden (1901) in Sonning, Berkshire. Later in his career, Lutyens turned to town planning. Two of his most important projects were the village centre in Hampstead Garden Suburb, London, and the layout for the city of New Delhi, India. His other works include the Cenotaph war memorial (1920) in London and the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. (1930). Lutyens was born in London.