She was the niece of America’s Bachelor President and his official hostess in Lancaster, London and Washington. Anyone who met her was instantly enamored. Queen Victoria bestowed upon her the title “Honorary Ambassadress.” The Washington press corps proclaimed her “Our Democratic Queen.” She was the first White House Hostess to be called “First Lady.” Ships were named after her. Songs were written about her. Women dressed like her. She was the most admired woman in the country and established a style of entertaining never before seen in the White House. And only she could get away with beating the Prince of Wales at bowling! Her life was marked by tragedy, yet she lived every day to the fullest. Her legacy lives on in Baltimore and Washington through a pediatric hospital, a school for boys, a museum of art, and a monument to James Buchanan. Thanks to her beauty, charm, and generosity of spirit, America’s First Lady will always be Harriet Lane.
