Returning to France, Waddington devoted himself for some years to archaeological research. He travelled throughout Asia Minor, Greece and Syria, and his experiences and discoveries are detailed in two Mémoires, the first produced by the French Institute and subsequently in his Mélanges de numismatique et de philologie. Except for his essay on "The Protestant Church in France", published in 1856 in Cambridge Essays, his remaining works all concerned archaeology. They include his Fastes des Provinces Asiatiques de l'Empire Romain, and editions of Diocletian's Edict on Maximum Prices and of Philippe Le Bas' Voyage archéologique. A Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, in 1865, Waddington was also elected a member of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres.
After contesting the seat of the Aisne for the Chamber of Deputies unsuccessfully in 1865 and 1860, Waddington was elected as Deputy in January 1871. In 1873, he was appointed Minister of Public Instruction in Prime Minister Dufaure's short-lived CabinetDufaure II of 18–24 May 1873.
Senator for the Aisne
On 30 January 1876, he was elected Senator for Aisne and was again nominated by Prime Minister Dufaure to the ministerial brief of Public Instruction. He was charged with devising a Bill transferring extra powers to the State, a tricky task which he negotiated through the Chamber, but was defeated in the Senate. He continued to hold office under Jules Simon's premiership until being thrown out during the Seize mai constitutional crisis. The triumph of the Republicans in the following October 1877 General Election returned Waddington to government as Minister of Foreign Affairs, again under Prime Minister Dufaure. He was one of the French plenipotentiaries at the Berlin Congress. The cession of Cyprus to the United Kingdom was, at first, perceived by the French newspapers as a great blow to his diplomatic reputation, until it became clear that his discussions with Lord Salisbury had resulted in Britain's agreement to allow France a free hand in Tunisia. In 1885, he was re-elected for the senate.
Early in 1879 Waddington agreed to take over from Jules Dufaure as a caretaker Prime Minister with the agreement of Léon Gambetta. He kept peace between the radicals and the reactionaries till the delay of urgent reforms lost him the support of all parties. He stepped down on 27 December. He refused the immediate offer of ambassadorship to London, preferring to take up the role in 1880 of rapporteur to the parliamentary committee for the Scrutin de liste ; he delivered an adverse judgment.
Waddington's Government, 5 February28 December 1879
4 March 1879Charles Lepère succeeded Marcère as Minister of the Interior and Worship; and Pierre Tirard succeeded Lepère as Minister of Agriculture and Commerce.
French Ambassador to London
In 1883 Waddington accepted the appointment and dignity of :fr:Ambassadeur de France|Ambassadeur de France to London. He held this post for ten years until 1893, during which time his wife, Mary Alsop King, wrote some recollections of their diplomatic experiences – Letters of a Diplomat's Wife, 1883–1900, and Italian Letters of a Diplomat's Wife, which were published after her husband's death.
Personal life
Waddington's first wife, whom he married in 1850, was Mathilde, daughter of the banker, ; they had a son Henri, a Captain in the Chasseurs Alpins, who married Émilie de La Robertie. In Paris in 1874, Waddington married his second wife, Mary Alsop King, an American-born author from New York City, daughter of CongressmanCharles King, 9th President of Columbia College. They had one son, Francis Richard, who married Charlotte, daughter of Vice-Admiral Jean-Charles-Alexandre Sallandrouze de Lamornaix. Charlotte was the granddaughter of :fr:Charles Sallandrouze de Lamornaix|Charles Sallandrouze de Lamornaix.
