List of chief ministers of England and Great Britain

Odo of Bayeux was second-in-command to William the Conqueror, the first monarch of England.

The retroactive and informal position of chief minister was given to the various personages who presided over the government of England and subsequently Great Britain at the pleasure of the monarch, usually with said monarch's permission, prior to the government under Robert Walpole as Prime Minister in 1721. Among them are regicides, revolutionaries and loyal subjects who (among other things) created Parliament, and a few became monarchs themselves.

The "chief ministership", being an informal capacity, had many titles, sometimes none at all, and while usually a single person, could be held by groups of up to three or four. It was an extremely dangerous position and, prior to the 18th century, a majority of its holders lost their lives at the behest of their royal masters.

Era of royal favourites, regents and rivals (946–1649)

Anglo-Saxons

Harold Godwinson (13 years)

940–957: Æthelstan Half-King; so called because he had almost as much power as the king himself
946–955: Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury; forced into exile by Eadwig from 955 to 957
959–978: Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury; returned when Edgar the Peaceful became King in Mercia
1022–1051: Godwin, Earl of Wessex
1053–1066: Harold, Earl of Wessex (the future Harold II, King of England), second son of Godwin, Earl of Wessex

Norman/Angevin rule

William the Conqueror

1068–1080: Odo, Earl of Kent
1070–1089: Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury

William II of England and Henry I

1094–1100: Ranulf Flambard, Bishop of Durham
1100–1139: Roger, Bishop of Salisbury

The Early Plantagenets

Thomas Becket (7 years)

Simon de Montfort (2 years)

1155–1162: Thomas à Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury; assassinated in 1170 and canonised in 1173
1189–1199: William de Longchamp, intermittently, during the absences of Richard I (on crusade, in prison, and in France)
1214–1219: William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke; Regent of England
1219–1232: Hubert de Burgh, 1st Earl of Kent; Regent from 1219 to 1227
1263–1265: Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester †; killed at the Battle of Evesham
1274–1292: Robert Burnell, Bishop of Bath and Wells
1309–1311: Piers Gaveston, 1st Earl of Cornwall
1327–1330: Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March, Regent
1327–1330: Queen Isabella of France, Regent (de facto)
1327–1330: Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster, Regent (de jure)
1330–1340: John de Stratford, Archbishop of Canterbury
1367–1371: William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester
1389–1391: William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester

House of Lancaster

1413–1417: Henry Beaufort, Cardinal, Bishop of Winchester
1422–1435: John, Duke of Bedford, Regent, died 14 September 1435
1422–1437: Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, Regent, died 23 February 1447
1424–1427: Henry Beaufort, Cardinal, Bishop of Winchester
1432–1447: Henry Beaufort, Cardinal, Bishop of Winchester
1447–1450: William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk
3 April 1454 – February 1455: Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York
19 November 1455 – 25 February 1456: Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, Protector (Regent) for King Henry VI
1470–1471: Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick †; known as Warwick the Kingmaker; killed at the Battle of Barnet

House of York

Richard Plantagenet (1 month, 27 days)

1461–1467: Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick; known as Warwick the Kingmaker
1475–1483: Thomas Rotherham, Archbishop of York
30 April – 26 June 1483: Richard Plantagenet, Duke of Gloucester, was Lord Protector of the Realm during the nominal reign of 12-year-old King Edward V (one of the "Princes in the Tower"), before claiming the throne for himself as King Richard III

House of Tudor

Henry VII

1486–1500: John Morton, Cardinal, Archbishop of Canterbury
1500–1509: Sir Richard Empson, executed by King Henry VIII with Edmund Dudley in 1510
1500–1509: Edmund Dudley, executed by King Henry VIII with Empson in 1510

Henry VIII

Chief ministers to King Henry VIII

Thomas Wolsey (15 years)

Sir Thomas More (3 years)

Thomas Cromwell (18 years)

1514–1529: Thomas Wolsey, Cardinal, Archbishop of York
1529–1532: Sir Thomas More ; executed in 1535 by King Henry; canonised in 1935
1532–1540: Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex ; executed by King Henry

Edward VI and Jane

1547–1549: Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset; Lord Protector for King Edward VI, who had him executed in 1552
1550–1553: John Dudley, 1st Earl of Warwick; 1st Duke of Northumberland; executed by Queen Mary in August 1553

Mary I

1553–1555: Stephen Gardiner
1556–1558: Reginald Pole

Elizabeth I and James I

William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley (40 years)

1558–1598: William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley
1598–1612: Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury

House of Stuart

James I and Charles I

1616–1628: George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham; assassinated by John Felton
1639–1640: Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford ; executed by the Long Parliament

The Stuart Restoration

This is very true: for my words are my own, and my actions are my ministers.
— King Charles II, reply to Lord Rochester's epitaph on him^[1]

In 1660, the leadership of the Commonwealth recalled Charles II and the chief minister became responsible to some extent to Parliament as leader of a ministry, although much of the time King Charles was in effect his own chief minister. The Glorious Revolution of 1688–89 furthered this process and by the time of Queen Anne in 1702, monarchs had little choice as to who their ministers would be.

Charles II and James II

	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Ministerial offices	Political party	Election	Ministry
	Edward, Lord Hyde (Earl of Clarendon from 1661) (1609–1674)	1660	1667	First Lord of the Treasury (1660) Chancellor of the Exchequer (1660–61) Lord Chancellor	N/A	1661	Clarendon (I & II)
Buckingham	The CABAL (acronym of the following): Sir Thomas Clifford (Lord Clifford from 1672) Lord Arlington (Earl of Arlington from 1672) The Duke of Buckingham Lord Ashley (Earl of Shaftesbury from 1672) The Earl of Lauderdale (a duchy from 1672)	1667	1674	(See Cabal ministry for details.)	N/A		Cabal
	Thomas Osborne, 1st Earl of Danby KG PC (1632–1712)	1674	March 1679	Lord High Treasurer	Tory	N/A	Danby I
Temple	The Privy Council (coordinated by Sir William Temple)	April 1679	November 1679	(See Privy Council ministry for details.)	N/A		Privy Council
Rochester Godolphin Sunderland	Laurence Hyde (Earl of Rochester from 1682) KG PC (1642–1711) & Sidney Godolphin (Lord Godolphin from 1684) KG PC (1645–1712) & Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland KG PC (1641–1702)	November 1679	1687	(Rochester:) First Lord of the Treasury (1679–84) (Godolphin:) First Lord of the Treasury (1684–85) (Sunderland:) Northern Secretary (1679–80 & 1683–84) (Godolphin:) Northern Secretary (1684) (Sunderland:) Southern Secretary (1680–81 & 1684–88) (Rochester:) Lord High Treasurer (1685–87)	Tory	1681	The Chits (I–III)
Rochester Godolphin Sunderland		November 1679	1687		Tory	1685	The Chits (I–III)

William III and Mary II

Portrait		Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Ministerial offices	Political party	Election	Ministry
	Carmarthen Halifax	Thomas Osborne, 1st Marquess of Carmarthen KG PC (1632–1712) & George Savile, 1st Marquess of Halifax PC DL FRS (1633–1695)	1689	8 February 1690 (Halifax resigned)	(Carmarthen:) Lord President of the Council (Halifax:) Lord Privy Seal	N/A	1689	Carmarthen–Halifax
		Thomas Osborne, 1st Marquess of Carmarthen KG PC (1632–1712)	February 1690	1695	Lord President of the Council	Tory	1690	Carmarthen (Danby II)

From 1693 and during the sole reign of William III, the government was increasingly dominated by the Whig Junto.

Anne

The Kingdoms of England and Scotland united to form the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707.

	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Ministerial offices	Political party	Election	Ministry
Godolphin Marlborough	Sidney, Lord Godolphin (Earl of Godolphin from 1706) KG PC (1645–1712) & John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough KG PC (1650–1722)	1702	1710	(Godolphin:) Lord High Treasurer (Marlborough:) Master-General of the Ordnance	Tory	1702	Godolphin–Marlborough (I–IV)
						1705
						1708
	Robert Harley KG PC MP for Radnor (until 1711) Earl of Orford (from 1711) (1661–1724)	1710	30 July 1714	Chancellor of the Exchequer (1710–11) Lord High Treasurer (1711–14)	Tory (formerly Whig)	1710	Harley (I–III)
		1710	30 July 1714		Tory (formerly Whig)	1713	Harley (I–III)
	Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury KG PC (1660–1718)	30 July 1714	13 October 1714	Lord High Treasurer	Tory	N/A

The Hanoverian Succession

In the immediate aftermath of the death of Queen Anne in 1714, the monarchy was unable to function as the new King was in his domains in Hanover and did not know of his accession. As a stopgap, Parliament elected Thomas Parker, 1st Earl of Macclesfield Regent, or "acting king" until the new monarch arrived to take his crown. Later, George, Prince of Wales reigned as regent for six months from July 1716 to January 1717 when the King went to Hanover.

In the early part of the reign of George I of Great Britain, who could not speak English, the cabinet began meeting without the monarch present.

Following the succession of George I and the resignation of the Duke of Shrewsbury in 1714, the office of Lord High Treasurer went into permanent commission, its function undertaken by a commission of Lords of the Treasury, chaired by the First Lord of the Treasury, rather than by an individual Lord High Treasurer. From 1714 to 1717 the ministry was led by Viscount Townshend, who was nominally Northern Secretary; the Earl of Halifax, the Earl of Carlisle and Sir Robert Walpole successively served alongside Townshend as nominal First Lord of the Treasury. From 1717 to 1721 Lords Stanhope (First Lord 1717–18) and Sunderland (First Lord 1718–21) led the administration jointly, with Stanhope managing foreign affairs and Sunderland managing home affairs. Stanhope died in February 1721 and Sunderland resigned in April 1721; Townshend and Walpole returned to office.

Thus the First Lord of the Treasury came to be the most powerful minister and the prototype of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and its dominions.

George I

	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Ministerial offices	Political party	Election	Ministry
	Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend KG PC FRS (1674–1738)	13 October 1714	1716	Northern Secretary First Lords of the Treasury 13 October 1714 – 19 May 1715: The Earl of Halifax 23 May 1715 – 10 October 1715: The Earl of Carlisle 10 October 1715 – 12 April 1717: Robert Walpole	Whig	1715	Townshend (I & II)
Stanhope Sunderland	James Stanhope, 1st Viscount Stanhope (c. 1673–1721) & Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland KG PC (1675–1722)	12 April 1717	21 March 1718	(Stanhope:) First Lord of the Treasury Chancellor of the Exchequer (Sunderland:) Northern Secretary	Whig	N/A	Stanhope–Sunderland I
Stanhope Sunderland		21 March 1718	4 April 1721	(Sunderland:) First Lord of the Treasury (Stanhope:) Northern Secretary	Whig	N/A	Stanhope–Sunderland II

References

↑ Knowles, Elizabeth M. (1999). The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations. Oxford University Press. p. 203. ISBN 978-0-19-860173-9.

Bibliography

Collier's Encyclopedia. 9. Electron Gun to Fischer. pp. 184–185.
Collier's Encyclopedia. 11. Germanium to Heath Hen. pp. 372–373.

English ministries
Clarendon I & II Cabal Danby I Privy Council The Chits I–III Carmarthen–Halifax Carmarthen (Danby II) First Whig Junto Pembroke I–III Godolphin–Marlborough I–III
→ List of British governments

British governments
Great Britain (1707–1801)	Godolphin–Marlborough III & IV Harley I–III Townshend I & II Stanhope–Sunderland I Stanhope–Sunderland II Walpole–Townshend I–III Walpole IV–VI Carteret Broad Bottom I–III Short-lived Newcastle I & II Pitt–Devonshire 1757 Caretaker Pitt–Newcastle I & II Bute Grenville Rockingham I Chatham I & II Grafton North I–III Rockingham II Shelburne Fox–North (Portland I) Pitt the Younger I–IV
UK (GB & Ire) (1801–1922)	Addington I & II Pitt the Younger V All the Talents I & II Portland II & III Perceval Liverpool I–V Canning Goderich Wellington Grey I–III Melbourne I Wellington Caretaker Peel I Melbourne II & III Peel II Russell I & II Who? Who? (Derby I & II) Aberdeen Palmerston I & II Derby III Palmerston III & IV Russell III Derby IV Disraeli I Gladstone I Disraeli II Gladstone II Salisbury I Gladstone III Salisbury II Gladstone IV Rosebery Salisbury III–V Balfour Campbell-Bannerman I & II Asquith I–III IV Lloyd George I & II
UK (GB & NI) (1922–present)	Law I & II Baldwin I MacDonald I Baldwin II MacDonald II National Government I II III IV Chamberlain War Churchill War Churchill Caretaker Attlee I & II Churchill III Eden I & II Macmillan I & II Douglas-Home Wilson I & II Heath Wilson III & IV Callaghan Thatcher I II III Major I II Blair I–III Brown Cameron–Clegg Cameron II May I II
Current ministry

Great Officers of State of England and Scotland
England	Lord High Steward Lord High Chancellor (of Great Britain) Lord High Treasurer Lord President of the Council Lord Privy Seal Lord Great Chamberlain Lord High Constable Earl Marshal Lord High Admiral
Scotland	Lord Chancellor Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland Chamberlain of Scotland Lord High Treasurer of Scotland Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland Lord Clerk Register Lord Advocate Lord Justice Clerk Lord Justice General Earl Marischal Lord Lyon King of Arms Lord High Admiral of Scotland
Italics indicate officers that are in commission, in abeyance or defunct

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