Howard was gazetted to an ensigncy in the Coldstream Guards, 21 April 1786, and served with his regiment in Flanders from February 1793 to May 1795, being wounded at St. Amand 8 May 1793. He was promoted lieutenant and captain 25 April 1793, captain-lieutenant and lieutenant-colonel 30 December 1797, and brigade-major to the foot-guards 17 April 1798, in which capacity he served throughout the Irish rebellion of that year and the Duke of York'sexpedition to Holland in 1799. He was present in every action of the last-named campaign. He was gazetted captain and lieutenant-colonel 25 July 1799, and was connected with the foreign troops in the English service as deputy inspector-general, inspector-general, and commandant of the foreign depôt. This latter office he resigned on being appointed colonel and aide-de-camp to the king, 1 January 1805. He became second major of his regiment 4 August 1808, and major-general 25 July 1810. In January 1811 Howard joined the army in the Peninsula, being placed in command of a brigade of the first division in succession to Sir William Erskine. In the following July he was transferred to the second division, which he commanded as senior officer under Lord Hill till August 1812. In November of that year he was selected to command the 1st brigade of guards in the first division, and was in entire command of that division under Sir John Hope from June 1813 to the end of the war. He was present at the battles of Fuentes de Oñoro, Arroyo de Molinos, and Almaraz, and was on the two latter occasions specially commended for gallantry in Lord Hill's despatches, and was thanked by the home government. He took continuous part in the operations on the frontier, 1813–14, and received the medal and one clasp for Vitoria and the passage of the Nive. On the conclusion of the war he became Lieutenant-Governor of Portsmouth and General Officer CommandingSouth-West District. The duties of this post prevented his joining the army in Belgium, but after Waterloo he was placed in command of the first division of the British army during the occupation of Paris, with the local rank of lieutenant-general. Howard succeeded his third cousin Richard Howard, 4th Earl of Effingham as Baron Howard of Effingham in 1816. In 1837 he was created Earl of Effingham.
Family
Lord Effingham married Lady Charlotte Primrose, daughter of Neil Primrose, 3rd Earl of Rosebery, on 27 May 1800, by whom he had five children:
