Spouses of the Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom

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The spouse of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom has no formal or constitutional role in the British political system. This is partly a reflection of the fact that the British Prime Minister is not the head of state (see Monarchy of the United Kingdom).

Some spouses, such as Norma Major have chosen to remain very much in the background; others, such as Cherie Blair have gained public attention through their own independent careers and achievements.

To date, 44 women and one man have been married to the British Prime Minister whilst in office. The United Kingdom has also had four bachelor and several widower Prime Ministers, the last bachelor being Edward Heath, and the last widower being Ramsay MacDonald.

[edit] List of spouses of the British Prime Minister

Prime Minister Dates Spouse Notes
Sir Robert Walpole 4 April 1721 – 20 August 1737 Catherine, Lady Walpole Walpole's first wife, she died in 1737.
20 August 1737 – c.3 March 1738 None Following Catherine's death, Walpole was a widower until he remarried.
c.3 March – 4 June 1738 Maria, Lady Walpole The second wife of Sir Robert Walpole, she died in childbirth in 1738.
4 June 1738 – 11 February 1742 None Sir Robert Walpole remained a widower after his second wife's death.
The Earl of Wilmington 16 February 1742 – 2 July 1743 None Lord Wilmington never married.
Henry Pelham 27 August 1743 – 6 March 1754 The Lady Catherine Pelham
The Duke of Newscastle 16 March 1754 – 16 November 1756 Henrietta, The Duchess of Newcastle
The Duke of Devonshire 16 November 1756 – 25 June 1757 None The Duke of Devonshire's wife, Charlotte, Marchioness of Hartington, died in 1754, before he came to office.
The Duke of Newscastle 2 July 1757 – 26 May 1762 Henrietta, The Duchess of Newcastle
The Earl of Bute 26 May 1762 – 16 April 1763 Mary, The Countess of Bute
George Grenville 16 April 1763 – 13 July 1765 Elizabeth Grenville
The Marquess of Rockingham 13 July 1765 – 30 July 1766 Mary, The Marchioness of Rockingham
The Earl of Chatham 30 July 1766 – 14 October 1768 Hester, The Countess of Chatham
The Duke of Grafton 14 October 1768 – 28 January 1770 Elizabeth, The Duchess of Grafton
Lord North 28 January 1770 – 22 March 1782 Anne, Lady North
The Marquess of Rockingham 27 March – 1 July 1782 Mary, The Marchioness of Rockingham
The Earl of Shelburne 4 July 1782 – 2 April 1783 Louisa, The Countess of Shelburne
The Duke of Portland 2 April – 19 December 1783 Dorothy, The Duchess of Portland
William Pitt the Younger 19 December 1783 – 14 March 1801 None Pitt the Younger never married.
Henry Addington 17 March 1801 – 10 May 1804 Ursua Addington
William Pitt the Younger 10 May 1804 – 23 January 1806 None Pitt the Younger never married.
The Lord Grenville 11 February 1806 – 31 March 1807 Anne, The Lady Grenville
The Duke of Portland 31 March 1807 – 4 October 1809 Dorothy, The Duchess of Portland
Spencer Perceval 4 October 1809 – 11 May 1812 Jane Perceval
The Earl of Liverpool 8 June 1812 – 9 April 1827 Louisa, The Countess of Liverpool
George Canning 10 April – 8 August 1827 Joan Canning
The Viscount Goderich 31 August 1827 – 21 January 1828 Sarah, The Viscountess Goderich
The Duke of Wellington 22 January 1828 – 16 November 1830 Catherine, The Duchess of Wellington
The Earl Grey 22 November 1830 – 9 July 1834 Mary, The Countess Grey
The Viscount Melbourne 16 July – 14 November 1834 None Lord Melbourne's wife, Lady Caroline Lamb, died in 1828.
The Duke of Wellington 14 November – 10 December 1834 None Wellington's wife, Catherine, Duchess of Wellington, died in 1831.
Sir Robert Peel, Bt. 10 December 1834 – 8 April 1835 Julia, Lady Peel
The Viscount Melbourne 18 April 1835 – 30 August 1841 None Lord Melbourne's wife, Lady Caroline Lamb, died in 1828.
Sir Robert Peel, Bt. 30 August 1841 – 29 June 1846 Julia, Lady Peel
Lord John Russell 30 June 1846 – 21 February 1852 Lady John Russell
The Earl of Derby 23 February – 17 December 1852 Emma, The Countess of Derby
The Earl of Aberdeen 19 December 1852 – 30 January 1855 Harriet, The Countess of Aberdeen
The Viscount Palmerston 6 February 1855 – 19 February 1858 Mary, The Viscountess Palmerston
The Earl of Derby 20 February 1858 – 11 June 1859 Emma, The Countess of Derby
The Viscount Palmerston 12 June 1859 – 16 October 1865 Mary, The Viscountess Palmerston
The Earl Russell 29 October 1865 – 26 June 1866 Frances, The Countess Russell
The Earl of Derby 28 June 1866 – 25 February 1868 Emma, The Countess of Derby
Benjamin Disraeli 27 February – 1 December 1868 Mary Disraeli
William Gladstone 3 December 1868 – 17 February 1874 Catherine Gladstone
Benjamin Disraeli 20 February 1874 – 21 April 1880 None Disraeli's wife, Mary, who had been made Viscountess Beaconsfield in 1868, died in 1872.
William Gladstone 23 April 1880 – 9 June 1885 Catherine Gladstone
The Marquess of Salisbury 23 June 1885 – 28 January 1886 Georgina, The Marchioness of Salisbury
William Gladstone 1 February – 20 July 1886 Catherine Gladstone
The Marquess of Salisbury 25 July 1886 – 11 August 1892 Georgina, The Marchioness of Salisbury
William Gladstone 15 August 1892 – 2 March 1894 Catherine Gladstone
The Earl of Rosebery 5 March 1894 – 22 June 1895 None Lord Rosebery's wife, Hannah Primrose, Countess of Rosebery, died in 1890.
The Marquess of Salisbury 25 June 1895 – 20 November 1899 Georgina, The Marchioness of Salisbury Lady Salisbury died in 1899.
20 November 1899 – 11 July 1902 None
Arthur Balfour 11 July 1902 – 5 December 1905 None Arthur Balfour never married.
Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman 5 December 1905 – 30 August 1906 Charlotte, Lady Campbell-Bannerman Lady Campbell-Bannerman died in 1906.
30 August 1906 – 3 April 1908 None
H. H. Asquith 5 April 1908 – 5 December 1916 Margot Asquith
David Lloyd George 6 December 1916 – 19 October 1922 Margaret Lloyd George Margaret Lloyd George was made a Dame of the Order of the British Empire in 1920.
Andrew Bonar Law 23 October 1922 – 20 May 1923 None Andrew Bonar Law's wife, Annie, died in 1909.
Stanley Baldwin 23 May 1923 – 16 January 1924 Lucy Baldwin
Ramsay MacDonald 22 January – 4 November 1924 None MacDonald's wife, Margaret, died in 1911. Their daughter, Ishbel, acted as hostess.
Stanley Baldwin 4 November 1924 – 5 June 1929 Lucy Baldwin
Ramsay MacDonald 5 June 1929 – 7 June 1935 None MacDonald's wife, Margaret, died in 1911. Their daughter, Ishbel, acted as hostess.
Stanley Baldwin 7 June 1935 – 28 May 1937 Lucy Baldwin
Neville Chamberlain 28 May 1937 – 10 May 1940 Anne Chamberlain
Winston Churchill 10 May 1940 – 27 July 1945 Clementine Churchill
Clement Atlee 27 July 1945 – 26 October 1951 Violet Attlee
Winston Churchill 26 October 1951 – 7 April 1955 Clementine Churchill When Winston Churchill was knighted in 1953, Clementine became Lady Churchill.
Sir Anthony Eden 7 April 1955 – 9 January 1957 Clarissa, Lady Eden
Harold Macmillan 11 January 1957 – 19 October 1963 The Lady Dorothy Macmillan
Sir Alec Douglas-Home 20 October 1963 – 16 October 1964 Elizabeth, Lady Douglas-Home For the first three days of his premiership, Alec Douglas-Home was the 14th Earl of Home until he renounced his peerages. During this time, Elizabeth was The Countess of Home.
Harold Wilson 16 October 1964 – 19 June 1970 Mary Wilson
Edward Heath 19 June 1970 – 4 March 1974 None Edward Heath never married.
Harold Wilson 4 March 1974 – 5 April 1976 Mary Wilson
James Callaghan 5 April 1976 – 4 May 1979 Audrey Callaghan
Margaret Thatcher 4 May 1979 – 28 November 1990 Denis Thatcher First male spouse
John Major 28 November 1990 – 2 May 1997 Norma Major
Tony Blair 2 May 1997 – 27 June 2007 Cherie Blair
Gordon Brown 27 June 2007 – Sarah Brown

[edit] See also