[2] On 6 February 1846, he was appointed precis writer to the foreign secretary, Lord Aberdeen, but on 26 June became second paid attaché to the British embassy at Paris.

On 12 February 1852, he was promoted to be secretary of legation at Athens at a time when diplomatic relations with Greece were more or less in abeyance, so that his position was peculiar and required much tact.

On 8 December 1852, he went on to Egypt and acted as consul-general till 19 February 1853, returned to England on leave of absence on 27 May 1853, and was transferred to The Hague as secretary of legation on 14 January 1854.

[3] As minister at Copenhagen, Paget saw the accession of Christian IX at the close of 1863, and had to play a leading part in regard to the Schleswig-Holstein difficulty in 1864; nor was his position much less difficult when in 1866 Prussia meditated war against Austria.

[3][2] Paget married in 1860 Countess Walburga Ehrengarde Helena von Hohenthal, member of the noble German House of Hohethaal.

The couple had three children, two boys and one girl: Sir Augustus died on 11 July 1896 and was buried in the cemetery of Tardebigge, Worcestershire, next to the family plot of the Earls of Plymouth.