United Kingdom

The modern nation-state of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (U.K.) is a relatively recent invention — it’s current name dates only to 1927, when it was changed from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to recognize the independence of the Irish Free State. However, the constituent parts of the U.K. (save Northern Ireland, whose long-ago history is more properly considered with that of the rest of the island of Ireland) are ancient indeed. The first king of a united England is a subject of debate, but Æthelstan in 928 was the first to use the title King of the English. Kenneth MacAlpin, who reigned in the 840s, is widely described as the first King of Scotland, although he didn’t use the term himself. Wales was rarely unified under a single sovereign before the English conquest in the thirteenth century (although Gruffydd ap Llywelyn bore the title King of Wales during 1055 – 1063), but various principalities in what would become Wales existed as far back as the 5th century.

England (which as mentioned previously had conquered Wales by the end of the thirteenth century) and Scotland remained formally independent kingdoms until 1707, although they were united under the rule of a single monarch (James VI of Scotland, now also James I of England) beginning in 1603. The unification of England and Scotland under a single monarch and parliament created the Kingdom of Great Britain, which in 1801 also formally incorporated Ireland (which had been under English rule for centuries by this point) to become the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

In recent years centralized rule of the U.K. from London has begun to give way to a somewhat more decentralized state, with devolution providing regional parliaments to Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

This page includes:

The Kings and Queens of England, the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the United Kingdom (see the respective pages of Scotland and Wales for those lands);
The Prime Ministers of Great Britain and the United Kingdom, the heads of government who have been recognized as far back as the 1720s;
The Leaders of the Opposition, today the leader of the largest opposition party in Parliament, and an office that was first recognized as such in the 1820s; and
The Deputy Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom, an unofficial position and occasionally-vacant position dating back to the Second World War, typically held by an individual in the governing party who can stand in for the Prime Minister when needed.

Additional pages are available for a variety of other political offices and prominent positions:

The Cabinet of the United Kingdom, the senior ministers of the British government;
The Great Officers of State, traditional and now largely ceremonial ministers of the Crown;
The Parliament of the United Kingdom, covering members of the House of Commons both past and present;

Heads of state of the United Kingdom

Kingdom of England

Monarch of the Kingdom of England

Richard III

Date of birth/date of death: b. October 2 1452; d. August 22 1485.

House of York – Plantagenet

1483 – 1485

Henry VII

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 28 1457; d. April 21 1509.

House of Tudor

1485 – 1509

Elizabeth I

Date of birth/date of death: b. September 7 1533; d. March 24 1603.

House of Tudor

1558 – 1603

James I

Date of birth/date of death: b. June 19 1566; d. March 27 1625.

House of Stuart

1603 – 1625

Charles II

Date of birth/date of death: b. May 29 1630; d. February 6 1685.

House of Stuart

1660 – 1685

James II

Date of birth/date of death: b. October 14 1633; d. September 16 1701.

House of Stuart

1685 – 1688

William III

Date of birth/date of death: b. April 24 1533; d. July 10 1584.

House of Orange – Nassau

1689 – 1702

Anne

Date of birth/date of death: b. February 6 1665; d. August 1 1714.

Spouse: Prince George of Denmark and Norway, Duke of Cumberland (b. May 19 1744; d. November 17 1818)

House of Stuart

1702 – 1707

Kingdom of Great Britain

Monarch of the Kingdom of Great Britain

Anne

Date of birth/date of death: b. February 6 1665; d. August 1 1714.

Spouse: Prince George of Denmark and Norway, Duke of Cumberland (b. May 19 1744; d. November 17 1818)

House of Stuart

1707 – 1714

George I

Date of birth/date of death: b. May 28 1660; d. June 11 1727.

House of Hanover – Welf

1714 – 1727

George II

Date of birth/date of death: b. November 9 1683; d. October 25 1760.

House of Hanover – Welf

1727 – 1760

George III

Date of birth/date of death: b. June 4 1738; d. January 29 1820.

House of Hanover—Welf

1760 – 1800

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Heads of State of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

History

The Acts of Union 1800, taking effect on January 1 1801, united the Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland under a single crown, with George III as king. At the outset, the sovereign remained a powerful constitutional actor, though already constrained by the principles of parliamentary government that had developed over the eighteenth century. During the reign of George III and his successors, the monarch formally retained significant prerogatives (particularly in the appointment of ministers and the conduct of foreign policy) but in practice these powers were increasingly exercised in accordance with the advice of Parliament and its leading figures.

Over the course of the nineteenth century, the United Kingdom evolved into a fully constitutional monarchy. The long reign of Victoria was especially significant in this regard: while the sovereign continued to play an active advisory role and to influence government formation, the expansion of the electorate and the solidification of cabinet government reduced the scope for independent royal action. By the early twentieth century, the monarch’s political role had become largely formal, with executive authority effectively vested in ministers responsible to the House of Commons. The crisis surrounding Edward VIII’s abdication in 1936 further underscored the constitutional principle that the monarch acts within established conventions and with the support of government.

In the modern era, the sovereign functions as a ceremonial head of state and a symbol of continuity and national identity, while retaining certain formal constitutional roles. These include the appointment of the prime minister, the granting of royal assent to legislation, and the performance of state and diplomatic duties, all carried out in accordance with convention.

List of Monarchs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland¹

Ruler

Dynasty

Dates

George III

Date of birth/date of death: b. June 4 1738; d. January 29 1820.

House of Hanover—Welf

October 25 1760² – January 29 1820

George IV

Date of birth/date of death: b. August 12 1762; d. June 26 1830.

House of Hanover—Welf

January 29 1820 – June 26 1830

William IV

Date of birth/date of death: b. August 21 1765; d. June 20 1837.

House of Hanover—Welf

June 26 1830 – June 20 1837

Victoria

Date of birth/date of death: b. May 24 1819; d. January 22 1901.

House of Hanover—Welf

June 20 1837 – January 22 1901

Edward VII

Date of birth/date of death: b. November 9 1841; d. May 6 1910.

House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

January 22 1901 – May 6 1910

George V

Date of birth/date of death: b. June 3 1865; d. January 20 1936.

House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1901 – 1917); House of Windsor (1917 – 1936)³

May 6 1910 – January 20 1936

Edward VIII

Date of birth/date of death: b. June 23 1894; d. May 28 1972.

House of Windsor

January 20 1936 – December 11 1936

George VI

Date of birth/date of death: b. December 14 1895; d. February 6 1952.

House of Windsor

December 11 1936 – February 6 1952

Elizabeth II

Date of birth/date of death: b. April 21 1926; d. September 8 2022.

House of Windsor

February 6 1952 – September 8 2022

Charles III

Date of birth/date of death: b. November 14 1948.

House of Windsor

September 8 2022 – present

Notes and References

[1] The name of the United Kingdom was formally changed from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, under the terms of the Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927 (taking effect on April 12 1927). More precisely, the name of the Parliament of the United Kingdom was changed effective that date; under the 1927 act, the style of the monarch removed the reference to the “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions” and substituted “Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions.” The royal title was changed to its current form, with the reference to the “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,” by the Royal Titles Act 1953, effective March 26 1953.

[2] The Acts of Union 1800, taking effect on January 1 1801, united the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland into a single kingdom with a single parliament, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. George III, who had been the King of Great Britain and Ireland since 1760, became the first monarch of the United Kingdom.

[3] The name of the royal dynasty was changed by George V on July 17 1917 from Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to Windsor in response to anti-German sentiment during the First World War.

Heads of Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

History

By the time of the formation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801, the office of prime minister was already well-established. The prime minister was understood to be the leading minister of the Crown, responsible for coordinating government policy and commanding a majority in the House of Commons, though at first the monarch still exercised considerable discretion in appointments and dismissals. During the nineteenth century, the office evolved into the definitive center of political power within the British constitutional system.

As the franchise expanded and political parties became more organized, the prime minister increasingly derived authority from electoral support in the Commons rather than royal favor. By the late nineteenth century, the monarch’s role in selecting the prime minister had become largely constrained to choosing the individual most capable of commanding parliamentary confidence. In the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, the prime minister has been firmly established as the head of government, exercising executive authority in the name of the Crown. Although formally appointed by the monarch, the prime minister is in practice the leader of the political party (or coalition) holding a majority in the House of Commons, and is responsible for the formation of the government, the direction of domestic and foreign policy, and the management of the cabinet.

List of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

Name

Political Party

Dates Office Held

William Pitt the Younger¹

Date of birth/date of death: b. May 28 1759; d. January 23 1806.

Tory Party

December 19 1783 – March 14 1801

Henry Addington

Date of birth/date of death: b. May 30 1757; d. February 15 1844.

Monarch: George III.

Titles of nobility: Viscount Sidmouth in the Peerage of the United Kingdom (1805 – 1844).

Other prominent offices: Member of the Parliament of Great Britain (1784 – 1800); Speaker of the House of Commons (1789 – 1801); Member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (1801 – 1805); First Lord of the Treasury (1801 – 1804); Chancellor of the Exchequer (1801 – 1804); Leader of the House of Commons (1801 – 1804); Lord President of the Council (1805, 1806 – 1807, 1812); Lord Privy Seal (1806); Home Secretary (1812 – 1822).

Tory Party

March 17 1801 – May 10 1804

William Pitt the Younger

Date of birth/date of death: b. May 28 1759; d. January 23 1806.

Monarch: George III.

Other prominent offices: Prime Minister of Great Britain (1783 – 1800); Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1801); Member of the Parliament of Great Britain (1781 – 1800); Chancellor of the Exchequer (1782 – 1783, 1783 – 1801, 1804 – 1806); Leader of the House of Commons (1783 – 1801, 1804 – 1806); Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports (1792 – 1806); Member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (1801 – 1806).

Tory Party

May 10 1804 – January 23 1806

William Wyndham Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville

Date of birth/date of death: b. October 25 1759; d. January 12 1834.

Titles:

Raised to the Peerage of Great Britain as Baron Grenville, of Wotton under Bernewood in the County of Buckingham, November 27 1790.¹

References:

[1] “No. 13259,” The London Gazette, November 23 1790, 710, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/13259/page/710.

Whig Party

February 11 1806 – March 25 1807

William Henry Cavendish Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland

Date of birth/date of death: b. April 14 1738; d. October 30 1809.

Monarch: George III.

Titles of nobility: Duke of Portland in the Peerage of Great Britain (1762 – 1809).

Other prominent offices: Prime Minister of Great Britain (1783); Member of the Parliament of Great Britain (1761 – 1762); Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1782); Leader of the House of Lords (1783); Chancellor of the University of Oxford (1792 – 1809); Home Secretary (1794 – 1801); Lord President of the Council (1801 – 1805).

Tory Party

March 31 1807 – October 4 1809

Spencer Perceval

Date of birth/date of death: b. November 1 1762; d. May 11 1812.

Monarch: George III.

Other prominent offices: Member of the Parliament of Great Britain (1796 – 1800); Member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (1800 – 1812); Solicitor General for England and Wales (1801 – 1802); Attorney General for England and Wales (1802 – 1806); Chancellor of the Exchequer (1807 – 1812); Leader of the House of Commons (1807 – 1812); Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1807 – 1812).

Tory Party

October 4 1809 – May 11 1812

Robert Banks Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool

Date of birth/date of death: b. June 7 1770; d. December 4 1828.

Monarchs: George III (1812 – 1820); George IV (1820 – 1827).

Titles of nobility: Baron Hawkesbury in the Peerage of the United Kingdom (1803 – 1828); Earl of Liverpool in the Peerage of the United Kingdom (1808 – 1828).

Other prominent offices: Member of the Parliament of Great Britain (1790 – 1801); Member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (1801 – 1803); Foreign Secretary (1801 – 1804); Leader of the House of Lords (1803 – 1806, 1807 – 1827); Home Secretary (1804 – 1806, 1807 – 1809); Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports (1806 – 1827); Secretary of State for War and the Colonies (1809 – 1812).

Tory Party

June 8 1812 – April 9 1827

George Canning

Date of birth/date of death: b. April 11 1770; d. August 8 1827.

Monarch: George IV.

Other prominent offices: Member of the Parliament of Great Britain (1793 – 1800); Paymaster of the Forces (1800 – 1801); Member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (1801 – 1827); Treasurer of the Navy (1804 – 1806); Foreign Secretary (1807 – 1809); President of the Board of Control (1816 – 1821); Foreign Secretary (1822 – 1827); Leader of the House of Commons (1822 – 1827); Chancellor of the Exchequer (1827).

Tory Party

April 12 1827 – August 8 1827

Frederick John Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich

Date of birth/date of death: b. November 1 1782; d. January 28 1859.

Monarch: George IV.

Other prominent offices: Member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (1806 – 1827); Paymaster of the Forces (1813 – 1817); President of the Board of Trade (1818 – 1823, 1841 – 1843); Treasurer of the Navy (1818 – 1823); Chancellor of the Exchequer (1823 – 1827); Secretary of State for War and the Colonies (1827, 1830 – 1833); Leader of the House of Lords (1827 – 1828); Lord Privy Seal (1833 – 1834); President of the Board of Control (1843 – 1846).

Tory Party

August 31 1827 – January 8 1828

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington

Date of birth/date of death: b. May 1 1769; d. September 14 1852.

Titles:

Raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Viscount Wellington and Baron Douro, August 16 1809.² Created Earl of Wellington, February 22 1812.³ Created Marquess of Wellington, August 18 1812.⁴ Created Duke of Wellington and Marquess Douro, May 3 1814.⁵

Honours:

Created a Knight Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, September 1 1804⁶ (converted to a Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, January 2 1815⁷). Created a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, March 4 1813.⁸

Military ranks:

Promoted to colonel, May 14 1796.⁹ Promoted to brigadier-general, July 25 1801.¹⁰ Promoted to major-general, May 11 1802.¹¹ Promoted to lieutenant-general, May 7 1808.¹² Promoted to brevet general (Spain and Portugal only), August 6 1811.¹³ Promoted to field marshal, June 21 1813.¹⁴

Elections:

Elected to the constituency of Rye, April 12 1806.¹⁵

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Sir Arthur Wellesley,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 24 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/sir-arthur-wellesley/index.html.

[2] “No. 16291,” The London Gazette, August 22 1809, 1342, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16291/page/1342.

[3] “No. 16576,” The London Gazette, February 18 1812, 335, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16576/page/335.

[4] “No. 16636,” The London Gazette, August 18 1812, 1677, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16636/page/1677.

[5] “No. 16894,” The London Gazette, May 3 1814, 936, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16894/page/936.

[6] “No. 15732,” The London Gazette, August 28 1804, 1069, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/15732/page/1069.

[7] “No. 16972,” The London Gazette, January 4 1815, 18, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16972/page/18.

[8] “No. 16708,” The London Gazette, March 2 1813, 458, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16708/page/458.

[9] “No. 13892,” The London Gazette, May 14 1796, 460, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/13892/page/460.

[10] “No. 15389,” The London Gazette, July 21 1801, 894, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/15389/page/894.

[11] “No. 15478,” The London Gazette, May 8 1802, 467, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/15478/page/467.

[12] “No. 16142,” The London Gazette, May 3 1808, 622, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16142/page/622.

[13] “No. 16510,” The London Gazette, August 3 1811, 1526, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16510/page/1526.

[14] “No. 16746,” The London Gazette, July 3 1813, 1270, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16746/page/1270.

[15] “No. 15908,” The London Gazette, April 12 1806, 449, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/15908/page/449.

Tory Party

January 22 1828 – November 16 1830

Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey

Date of birth/date of death: b. March 13 1764; d. July 17 1845.

Monarch: William IV.

Titles of nobility: Earl Grey in the Peerage of the United Kingdom (1807 – 1845).

Political offices held: Member of the Parliament of Great Britain, 1786 – 1800; Member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, 1801 – 1807; First Lord of the Admiralty, 1806; Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, 1806 – 1807; Leader of the House of Commons, 1806 – 1807; Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, 1830 – 1834; First Lord of the Treasury, 1830 – 1834; Leader of the House of Lords, 1830 – 1834.

Political party positions held: Leader of the Whig Party, 1830 – 1834; Leader of the Whig Party in the House of Lords, 1830 – 1834.

Whig Party

November 22 1830 – July 9 1834

Henry William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne

Date of birth/date of death: b. March 15 1779; d. November 24 1848.

Titles:

Succeeded as the 3rd Viscount Melbourne in the Peerage of the Ireland and Baron Melbourne in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, July 22 1828.¹

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “William Lamb,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 25 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-william-lamb/index.html.

Whig Party

July 16 1834 – November 14 1834

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington

Date of birth/date of death: b. May 1 1769; d. September 14 1852.

Titles:

Honours:

Military ranks:

Elections:

Elected to the constituency of Rye, April 12 1806.¹⁵

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Sir Arthur Wellesley,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 24 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/sir-arthur-wellesley/index.html.

[2] “No. 16291,” The London Gazette, August 22 1809, 1342, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16291/page/1342.

[3] “No. 16576,” The London Gazette, February 18 1812, 335, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16576/page/335.

[4] “No. 16636,” The London Gazette, August 18 1812, 1677, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16636/page/1677.

[5] “No. 16894,” The London Gazette, May 3 1814, 936, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16894/page/936.

[6] “No. 15732,” The London Gazette, August 28 1804, 1069, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/15732/page/1069.

[7] “No. 16972,” The London Gazette, January 4 1815, 18, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16972/page/18.

[8] “No. 16708,” The London Gazette, March 2 1813, 458, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16708/page/458.

[9] “No. 13892,” The London Gazette, May 14 1796, 460, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/13892/page/460.

[10] “No. 15389,” The London Gazette, July 21 1801, 894, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/15389/page/894.

[11] “No. 15478,” The London Gazette, May 8 1802, 467, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/15478/page/467.

[12] “No. 16142,” The London Gazette, May 3 1808, 622, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16142/page/622.

[13] “No. 16510,” The London Gazette, August 3 1811, 1526, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16510/page/1526.

[14] “No. 16746,” The London Gazette, July 3 1813, 1270, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16746/page/1270.

[15] “No. 15908,” The London Gazette, April 12 1806, 449, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/15908/page/449.

Tory Party

November 17 1834 – December 9 1834

Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet

Date of birth/date of death: b. February 5 1788; d. July 2 1850.

Titles:

Succeeded to the Peel baronetcy of Drayton Manor and Bury, May 3 1830.

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Sir Robert Peel,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 24 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/sir-robert-peel-1/index.html.

Conservative Party

December 10 1834 – April 8 1835

Henry William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne

Date of birth/date of death: b. March 15 1779; d. November 24 1848.

Titles:

Succeeded as the 3rd Viscount Melbourne in the Peerage of the Ireland and Baron Melbourne in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, July 22 1828.¹

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “William Lamb,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 25 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-william-lamb/index.html.

Whig Party

April 18 1835 – August 30 1841

Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet

Date of birth/date of death: b. February 5 1788; d. July 2 1850.

Titles:

Succeeded to the Peel baronetcy of Drayton Manor and Bury, May 3 1830.

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Sir Robert Peel,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 24 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/sir-robert-peel-1/index.html.

Conservative Party

August 30 1841 – June 29 1846

Lord John Russell

Date of birth/date of death: b. August 18 1792; d. May 28 1878.

Titles:

Known by the courtesy title Lord John Russell from birth until July 27 1861. Raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Earl Russell and Viscount Amberley, July 27 1861.¹

Honours:

Created a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, May 21 1862.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Lord John Russell,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 24 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/lord-john-russell/index.html.

[2] “No. 22534,” The London Gazette, July 30 1861, 3193, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/22534/page/3193.

Whig Party

June 30 1846 – February 21 1852

Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby

Date of birth/date of death: b. March 29 1799; d. October 23 1869.

Titles:

Held the courtesy title Lord Stanley, 1834 – 1851 (citation needed). Held the title Baron Stanley of Bickerstaffe by a writ of acceleration, 1844 – 1851¹. Succeeded as the 14th Earl of Derby, June 30 1851.¹

Honours:

Created a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, July 1 1859.² Created a Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, June 30 1869.³

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Edward Stanley,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 24 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/hon-edward-stanley-3/index.html.

[2] “No. 22281,” The London Gazette, July 1 1859, 2549, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/22281/page/2549.

[3] “No. 7968,” The Edinburgh Gazette, July 2 1869, 794, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/Edinburgh/issue/7968/page/794.

Conservative Party

February 23 1852 – December 17 1852

George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 28 1784; d. December 14 1860.

Monarch: Victoria.

Titles of nobility: Earl of Aberdeen in the Peerage of Scotland, 1801 – 1860; Viscount Gordon in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, 1814 – 1860.

Political offices held: Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, 1828; Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, 1828 – 1830; Secretary of State for War and the Colonies, 1834 – 1835; Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, 1841 – 1846; Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, 1852 – 1855; Leader of the House of Lords, 1852 – 1855.

Diplomatic posts held: Ambassador of the United Kingdom to the Austrian Empire, 1813 – 1814.

Peelite Conservative

December 19 1852 – January 30 1855

Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston

Date of birth/date of death: b. October 20 1784; d. October 18 1865.

Titles:

Succeeded as the 3rd Viscount Palmerston in the Peerage of the Ireland, April 17 1802. (citation needed)

Honours:

Created a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, July 12 1856.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Viscount Palmerston,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 24 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/viscount-palmerston/index.html.

[2] “No. 21901,” The London Gazette, July 15 1856, 2451, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/21901/page/2451.

Whig Party

February 6 1855 – February 19 1858

Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby

Date of birth/date of death: b. March 29 1799; d. October 23 1869.

Titles:

Honours:

Created a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, July 1 1859.² Created a Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, June 30 1869.³

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Edward Stanley,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 24 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/hon-edward-stanley-3/index.html.

[2] “No. 22281,” The London Gazette, July 1 1859, 2549, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/22281/page/2549.

[3] “No. 7968,” The Edinburgh Gazette, July 2 1869, 794, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/Edinburgh/issue/7968/page/794.

Conservative Party

February 20 1858 – June 11 1859

Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston

Date of birth/date of death: b. October 20 1784; d. October 18 1865.

Titles:

Succeeded as the 3rd Viscount Palmerston in the Peerage of the Ireland, April 17 1802. (citation needed)

Honours:

Created a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, July 12 1856.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Viscount Palmerston,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 24 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/viscount-palmerston/index.html.

[2] “No. 21901,” The London Gazette, July 15 1856, 2451, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/21901/page/2451.

Liberal Party

June 12 1859 – October 18 1865

John Russell, 1st Earl Russell

Date of birth/date of death: b. August 18 1792; d. May 28 1878.

Titles:

Known by the courtesy title Lord John Russell from birth until July 27 1861. Raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Earl Russell and Viscount Amberley, July 27 1861.¹

Honours:

Created a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, May 21 1862.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Lord John Russell,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 24 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/lord-john-russell/index.html.

[2] “No. 22534,” The London Gazette, July 30 1861, 3193, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/22534/page/3193.

Liberal Party

October 29 1865 – June 26 1866

Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby

Date of birth/date of death: b. March 29 1799; d. October 23 1869.

Titles:

Honours:

Created a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, July 1 1859.² Created a Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, June 30 1869.³

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Edward Stanley,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 24 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/hon-edward-stanley-3/index.html.

[2] “No. 22281,” The London Gazette, July 1 1859, 2549, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/22281/page/2549.

[3] “No. 7968,” The Edinburgh Gazette, July 2 1869, 794, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/Edinburgh/issue/7968/page/794.

Conservative Party

June 28 1866 – February 25 1868

Benjamin Disraeli

Date of birth/date of death: b. December 21 1804; d. April 19 1881.

Honours:

Created a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, July 1878. (citation needed) Raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Earl of Beaconsfield and Viscount Hughenden, August 16 1876.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Benjamin Disraeli,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 23 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-benjamin-disraeli/index.html.

[2] “No. 24355,” The London Gazette, August 18 1876, 4594, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/24355/page/4594.

Conservative Party

February 27 1868 – December 1 1868

William Ewart Gladstone

Date of birth/date of death: b. December 29 1809; d. May 19 1898.

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “W.E. Gladstone,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 23 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-we-gladstone/index.html.

Liberal Party

December 3 1868 – February 17 1874

Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield

Date of birth/date of death: b. December 21 1804; d. April 19 1881.

Honours:

Created a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, July 1878. (citation needed) Raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Earl of Beaconsfield and Viscount Hughenden, August 16 1876.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Benjamin Disraeli,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 23 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-benjamin-disraeli/index.html.

[2] “No. 24355,” The London Gazette, August 18 1876, 4594, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/24355/page/4594.

Conservative Party

February 20 1874 – April 21 1880

William Ewart Gladstone

Date of birth/date of death: b. December 29 1809; d. May 19 1898.

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “W.E. Gladstone,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 23 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-we-gladstone/index.html.

Liberal Party

April 23 1880 – June 9 1885

Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury

Date of birth/date of death: b. February 3 1830; d. August 22 1903.

Titles:

Held the courtesy title Viscount Cranborne, June 1865 – April 12 1868. Succeeded as the 3rd Marquess of Salisbury in the Peerage of Great Britain, April 12 1868. (citations needed)

Honours:

Created a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, 1878 (citation needed).

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Lord Robert Cecil,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 23 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/lord-robert-cecil-1/index.html.

Conservative Party

June 23 1885 – January 28 1886

William Ewart Gladstone

Date of birth/date of death: b. December 29 1809; d. May 19 1898.

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “W.E. Gladstone,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 23 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-we-gladstone/index.html.

Liberal Party

February 1 1886 – July 20 1886

Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury

Date of birth/date of death: b. February 3 1830; d. August 22 1903.

Titles:

Held the courtesy title Viscount Cranborne, June 1865 – April 12 1868. Succeeded as the 3rd Marquess of Salisbury in the Peerage of Great Britain, April 12 1868. (citations needed)

Honours:

Created a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, 1878 (citation needed).

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Lord Robert Cecil,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 23 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/lord-robert-cecil-1/index.html.

Conservative Party

July 25 1886 – August 11 1892

William Ewart Gladstone

Date of birth/date of death: b. December 29 1809; d. May 19 1898.

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “W.E. Gladstone,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 23 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-we-gladstone/index.html.

Liberal Party

August 15 1892 – March 2 1894

Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery

Date of birth/date of death: b. May 7 1847; d. May 21 1929.

Titles:

Held the courtesy title Lord Dalmeny, January 23 1851 – March 4 1868.¹ Succeeded as the 5th Earl of Rosebery in the Peerage of Scotland and the 2nd Baron Rosebery in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, March 4 1868.¹ Created Earl of Midlothian, Viscount Mentmore, and Baron Epsom in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, July 3 1911.²

Honours:

Created a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, 1892 (citation needed).

References:

[1] Hugh Chisholm, “Rosebery, Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of,” in Encyclopædia Britannica (1911), Vol. 23 (11th ed.).

[2] “No. 28512,” The London Gazette, July 11 1911, 5168, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28512/page/5168.

Liberal Party

March 5 1894 – June 22 1895

Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury

Date of birth/date of death: b. February 3 1830; d. August 22 1903.

Titles:

Held the courtesy title Viscount Cranborne, June 1865 – April 12 1868. Succeeded as the 3rd Marquess of Salisbury in the Peerage of Great Britain, April 12 1868. (citations needed)

Honours:

Created a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, 1878 (citation needed).

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Lord Robert Cecil,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 23 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/lord-robert-cecil-1/index.html.

Conservative Party

June 25 1895 – July 11 1902

Arthur James Balfour

Date of birth/date of death: b. July 25 1848; d. March 19 1930.

Honours:

Created a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, March 3 1922.² Raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Earl of Balfour and Viscount Traprain, May 5 1922.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Arthur Balfour,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 22 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-arthur-balfour/index.html.

[2] “No. 32638,” The London Gazette, March 14 1922, 2137, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/32638/page/2137.

[3] “No. 32691,” The London Gazette, May 5 1922, 3512, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/32691/page/3512.

Conservative Party

July 12 1902 – December 4 1905

Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman

Date of birth/date of death: b. September 7 1836; d. April 22 1908.

Honours:

Created a Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, June 29 1895.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 23 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/sir-henry-campbell-bannerman/index.html.

[2] “No. 26639,” The London Gazette, July 2 1895, 3740, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/26639/page/3740.

Liberal Party

December 5 1905 – April 3 1908

Herbert Henry Asquith

Date of birth/date of death: b. September 12 1852; d. February 15 1928.

Honours:

Raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Earl of Oxford and Asquith and Viscount Asquith, February 9 1925.² Created a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, June 1 1925.³

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Herbert Asquith,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 22 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-herbert-asquith/index.html.

[2] “No. 33019,” The London Gazette, February 10 1925, 1004, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/33019/page/1004.

[3] “No. 33055,” The London Gazette, June 9 1925, 3869, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/33055/page/3869.

Liberal Party

April 8 1908 – December 5 1916

David Lloyd George

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 17 1863; d. March 26 1945

Titles of nobility: Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor in the Peerage of the United Kingdom (1945)

Liberal Party

December 6 1916 – October 19 1922

Andrew Bonar Law

Date of birth/date of death: b. September 16 1858; d. October 30 1923.

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Bonar Law,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 22 2026,https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-bonar-law/index.html.

Conservative Party

October 23 1922 – May 20 1923

Stanley Baldwin

Date of birth/date of death: b. August 3 1867; d. December 14 1947.

Honours:

Created a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, May 28 1937.² Raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Earl Baldwin of Bewdley and Viscount Corvedale, June 8 1937.³

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Stanley Baldwin,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 21 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-stanley-baldwin/index.html.

[2] “No. 34403,” The London Gazette, June 1 1937, 3508, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34403/page/3508.

[3] “No. 34405,” The London Gazette, June 8 1937, 3663, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34405/page/3663.

Conservative Party

May 22 1923 – January 22 1924

James Ramsay MacDonald

Date of birth/date of death: b. October 12 1866; d. November 9 1937.

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Ramsay MacDonald,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 21 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-ramsay-macdonald/index.html.

Labour Party

January 22 1924 – November 4 1924

Stanley Baldwin

Date of birth/date of death: b. August 3 1867; d. December 14 1947.

Honours:

Created a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, May 28 1937.² Raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Earl Baldwin of Bewdley and Viscount Corvedale, June 8 1937.³

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Stanley Baldwin,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 21 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-stanley-baldwin/index.html.

[2] “No. 34403,” The London Gazette, June 1 1937, 3508, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34403/page/3508.

[3] “No. 34405,” The London Gazette, June 8 1937, 3663, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34405/page/3663.

Conservative Party

November 4 1924 – June 4 1929

James Ramsay MacDonald

Date of birth/date of death: b. October 12 1866; d. November 9 1937.

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Ramsay MacDonald,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 21 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-ramsay-macdonald/index.html.

Labour Party (1929 – 1931); National Labour Party (1931 – 1935)

June 5 1929 – June 7 1935

Stanley Baldwin

Date of birth/date of death: b. August 3 1867; d. December 14 1947.

Honours:

Created a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, May 28 1937.² Raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Earl Baldwin of Bewdley and Viscount Corvedale, June 8 1937.³

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Stanley Baldwin,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 21 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-stanley-baldwin/index.html.

[2] “No. 34403,” The London Gazette, June 1 1937, 3508, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34403/page/3508.

[3] “No. 34405,” The London Gazette, June 8 1937, 3663, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34405/page/3663.

Conservative Party

June 7 1935 – May 28 1937

Arthur Neville Chamberlain

Date of birth/date of death: b. March 18 1869; d. November 9 1940

Conservative Party

May 28 1937 – May 10 1940

Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill

Date of birth/date of death: b. November 30 1874; d. January 24 1965.

Honours:

Created a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, April 24 1953.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Winston Churchill,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 21 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-winston-churchill/index.html.

[2] “No. 39838,” The London Gazette, April 28 1953, 2357, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/39838/page/2357/.

Conservative Party

May 10 1940 – July 26 1945

Clement Richard Attlee

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 3 1883; d. October 8 1967.

Honours:

Raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Earl Attlee and Viscount Prestwood, December 16 1955.² Created a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, April 7 1956.³

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Clement Attlee,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 21 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-clement-attlee/index.html.

[2] “No. 40656,” The London Gazette, December 16 1955, 7079, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/40656/page/7079.

[3] “No. 40751,” The London Gazette, April 10 1956, 2095, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/40751/page/2095/.

Labour Party

July 26 1945 – October 26 1951

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill

Date of birth/date of death: b. November 30 1874; d. January 24 1965.

Honours:

Created a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, April 24 1953.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Winston Churchill,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 21 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-winston-churchill/index.html.

[2] “No. 39838,” The London Gazette, April 28 1953, 2357, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/39838/page/2357/.

Conservative Party

October 26 1951 – April 5 1955

Sir Robert Anthony Eden

Date of birth/date of death: b. June 12 1897; d. January 14 1977

Titles of nobility: Earl of Avon in the Peerage of the United Kingdom (1961 – 1977).

Conservative Party

April 6 1955 – January 9 1957

Maurice Harold Macmillan

Date of birth/date of death: b. February 10 1894; d. December 29 1986

Titles of nobility: Earl of Stockton in the Peerage of the United Kingdom (1984 – 1986); Viscount Macmillan of Ovenden in the Peerage of the United Kingdom (1984 – 1986)

Conservative Party

January 10 1957 – October 18 1963

Sir Alexander Frederick “Alec” Douglas-Home

Date of birth/date of death: b. July 2 1903; d. October 9 1995.

Honours:

Given the courtesy title Lord Dunglass, April 30 1918.¹ Succeeded to the Peerage of Scotland as the 14th Earl of Home, July 11 1951.¹ Created a Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, October 16 1962.² Created Baron Home of the Hirsel, December 19 1974.³

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Sir Alec Douglas-Home,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 20 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/sir-alec-douglas-home/index.html.

[2] “No. 42815,” The London Gazette, October 23 1962, 8275, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/42815/page/8275.

[3] “No. 46441,” The London Gazette, December 24 1974, 13203, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/46441/page/.

Conservative Party

October 19 1963 – October 16 1964

James Harold Wilson

Date of birth/date of death: b. March 11 1916; d. May 23 1995.

Honours:

Created Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, April 23 1976.² Created Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, September 16 1983.³

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Sir Harold Wilson.” Accessed April 20, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/1016/career.

[2] “No. 46885,” The London Gazette, April 27 1976, 6047, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/46885/page/6047.

[3] “No. 49485,” The London Gazette, September 21 1983, 12361, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/49485/page/12361.

Labour Party

October 16 1964 – June 19 1970

Edward Richard George “Ted” Heath

Date of birth/date of death: b. July 9 1916; d. July 17 2005.

Honours:

Appointed Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter, April 23 1992.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Sir Edward Heath.” Accessed April 20, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/195/career.

[2] “No. 52903,” The London Gazette, April 24 1992, 7175, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/52903/page/7175.

Conservative Party

June 19 1970 – March 4 1974

James Harold Wilson

Date of birth/date of death: b. March 11 1916; d. May 23 1995.

Honours:

Created Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, April 23 1976.² Created Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, September 16 1983.³

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Sir Harold Wilson.” Accessed April 20, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/1016/career.

[2] “No. 46885,” The London Gazette, April 27 1976, 6047, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/46885/page/6047.

[3] “No. 49485,” The London Gazette, September 21 1983, 12361, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/49485/page/12361.

Labour Party

March 4 1974 – April 5 1976

Leonard James Callaghan

Date of birth/date of death: b. March 27 1912; d. March 26 2005.

Honours:

Created Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, November 5 1987.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Lord Callaghan of Cardiff.” Accessed April 20, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/3326/career.

[2] “No. 51118,” The London Gazette, November 12 1987, 13941, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/51118/page/13941.

Labour Party

April 5 1976 – May 4 1979

Margaret Hilda Thatcher

Date of birth/date of death: b. October 13 1925; d. April 8 2013.

Honours:

Created Baroness Thatcher, June 26 1992.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Baroness Thatcher.” Accessed April 20, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/953/career.

[2] “No. 52978,” The London Gazette, July 1 1992, 11045, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/52978/page/11045.

Conservative Party

May 4 1979 – November 28 1990

John Major

Date of birth/date of death: b. March 29 1943.

Honours:

Appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Garter, April 23 2005.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for John Major.” Accessed April 9, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/119/career.

[2] “No. 57622,” The London Gazette, April 25 2005, 5363, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/57622/page/5363.

Conservative Party

November 28 1990 – May 2 1997

Anthony Charles Lynton “Tony” Blair

Date of birth/date of death: b. May 6 1953.

Honours:

Appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Garter, January 1 2022.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Tony Blair.” Accessed April 20, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/512/career.

[2] “No. 63581,” The London Gazette, January 10 2022, 214, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/63581/page/214.

Labour Party

May 2 1997 – June 27 2007

James Gordon Brown

Date of birth/date of death: b. February 20 1951.

Labour Party

June 27 2007 – May 11 2010

David William Donald Cameron

Date of birth/date of death: b. October 9 1966.

Titles:

Received a life peerage as Baron Cameron of Chipping Norton, of Chipping Norton in the County of Oxfordshire, November 17 2023.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for David Cameron.” Accessed April 9, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/1467/career.

[2] “No. 64237,” The London Gazette, November 22 2023, 23554, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/64237/page/23554.

Conservative Party

May 11 2010 – July 13 2016

Theresa Mary May

Date of birth/date of death: b. October 1 1956.

Titles:

Received a life peerage as Baroness May of Maidenhead, of Sonning in the Royal County of Berkshire, August 21 2024.

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Baroness May of Maidenhead.” Accessed May 12, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/8/career.

[2] “No. 64499,” The London Gazette, August 28 2024, 16578, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/64499/page/16578.

Conservative Party

July 13 2016 – July 24 2019

Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson

Date of birth/date of death: b. June 19 1964.

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Boris Johnson.” Accessed May 12, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/1423/career.

Conservative Party

July 24 2019 – September 6 2022

Mary Elizabeth “Liz” Truss

Date of birth/date of death: b. March 4 1973.

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Elizabeth Truss.” Accessed May 12, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/4097/career.

Conservative Party

September 6 2022 – October 25 2022

Rishi Sunak

Date of birth/date of death: b. May 12 1980.

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Rishi Sunak.” Accessed April 9, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/4483/career.

Conservative Party

October 25 2022 – July 5 2024

Sir Keir Rodney Starmer

Date of birth/date of death: b. September 2 1962.

Honours:

Created a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, December 31 2013.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Sir Keir Starmer.” Accessed April 9, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/4514/career.

[2] “No. 60728,” The London Gazette, Supplement, December 31, 2013, 3, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/60728/supplement/3.

Labour Party

July 5 2024 – present

Notes and References:

[1] Previously Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Great Britain. Continued after the Acts of Union 1800 as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Deputy Heads of Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

A deputy head of government in the United Kingdom, called the deputy prime minister, has historically been appointed from time to time in the United Kingdom. The office is not permanent or constitutionally defined; rather, it is most often used an honorary title for a senior member of the cabinet, a deputy leader in the ruling party, or in some cases (such as during the 2010 – 2015 coalition government) as a recognition of a junior political partner.

The office of Deputy Prime Minister in the United Kingdom is not a permanent or constitutionally defined position, but rather an occasional and flexible designation within the executive. Unlike the prime ministership, it has no statutory basis and confers no fixed powers or duties; instead, its existence and significance depend entirely on the preferences of the serving prime minister.

Historically, the title has been used intermittently, often in specific political circumstances. In some cases, it has been granted to a senior minister as a mark of status within the ruling party or to reflect a role as second-in-command. For example, during the Second World War, Clement Attlee served as Deputy Prime Minister under Winston Churchill in the wartime coalition government, reflecting both his leadership of the Labour Party and the need for cross-party balance. In other periods, the title has been revived to manage coalition or partnership arrangements, most notably when Nick Clegg served as Deputy Prime Minister from 2010 to 2015 in the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition.

In functional terms, the Deputy Prime Minister does not automatically assume the powers of the prime minister, nor is there a formal line of succession attached to the role. Responsibilities vary widely and are typically defined by the portfolio assigned to the officeholder, which may include oversight of particular policy areas or coordination across government. In the absence or incapacity of the prime minister, it is not the title itself but political convention and practical necessity that determine who acts in their place, often involving other senior ministers.

As a result, the office is best understood as a political instrument rather than a constitutional one: a flexible designation used to accommodate coalition politics, reward seniority, or signal hierarchy within government, rather than a fixed component of the United Kingdom’s institutional structure.

List of Deputy Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Clement Richard Attlee

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 3 1883; d. October 8 1967.

Honours:

Raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Earl Attlee and Viscount Prestwood, December 16 1955.² Created a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, April 7 1956.³

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Clement Attlee,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 21 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-clement-attlee/index.html.

[2] “No. 40656,” The London Gazette, December 16 1955, 7079, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/40656/page/7079.

[3] “No. 40751,” The London Gazette, April 10 1956, 2095, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/40751/page/2095/.

Labour Party

February 19 1942 – May 23 1945

The office of Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was vacant from May 23 1945 until July 5 1995.

Michael Ray Dibdin Heseltine

Date of birth/date of death: b. March 21 1933.

Titles:

Received a life peerage as Baron Heseltine, of Thenford in the County of Northamptonshire, July 12 2001.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Lord Heseltine.” Accessed May 3, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/94/career.

[2] “No. 56278,” The London Gazette, July 18 2001, 8487, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/56278/page/8487.

Conservative Party

July 5 1995 – May 2 1997

John Leslie Prescott

Date of birth/date of death: b. May 31 1938; d. November 20 2024.

Titles:

Received a life peerage as Baron Prescott, of Kingston upon Hull in the County of East Yorkshire, June 15 2010.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Lord Prescott.” Accessed May 3, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/374/career.

[2] “No. 59459,” The London Gazette, Supplement, June 15 2010, 11151, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/59459/supplement/11151.

Labour Party

May 2 1997 – June 27 2007

The office of Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was vacant from June 27 2007 until May 11 2010.

Nicholas William Peter “Nick” Clegg

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 7 1967.

Honours:

Created a Knight Bachelor, December 30 2017.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Nick Clegg.” Accessed May 15, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/1563/career

[2] “No. 62150,” The London Gazette, Supplement, December 30 2017, N2, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/62150/supplement/N2.

Liberal Democrats

May 11 2010 – May 8 2015

The office of Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was vacant from May 8 2015 until September 15 2021.

Dominic Rennie Raab

Date of birth/date of death: b. February 25 1974.

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Dominic Raab.” Accessed May 12, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/4007/career.

Conservative Party

September 15 2021 – September 6 2022

Thérèse Anne Coffey

Date of birth/date of death: b. November 18 1971.

Conservative Party

September 6 2022 – October 25 2022

Dominic Rennie Raab

Date of birth/date of death: b. February 25 1974.

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Dominic Raab.” Accessed May 12, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/4007/career.

Conservative Party

October 25 2022 – April 21 2023

Oliver James Dowden

Date of birth/date of death: b. August 1 1978.

Honors:

Created a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, September 22 2015.² Created a Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, July 4 2024.³

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Sir Oliver Dowden.” Accessed April 28, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/4441/career.

[2] “No. 61359,” The London Gazette, Supplement, September 22 2015, 17615, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/61359/supplement/17615.

[3] “No. 64480,” The London Gazette, Supplement, August 7 2024, 15222, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/64480/supplement/15222.

Conservative Party

April 21 2023 – July 5 2024

Angela Rayner

Date of birth/date of death: b. March 28 1980.

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Angela Rayner.” Accessed April 28, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/4356/career.

Labour Party

July 5 2024 – September 5 2025

David Lindon Lammy

Date of birth/date of death: b. July 19 1972.

Labour Party

September 5 2025 – present

Leaders of the Opposition of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

History

Like many other aspects of the British constitution, the role and office of Leader of the Opposition has evolved and formalized over time, originating in the eighteenth century, becoming well-established by convention in the nineteenth century, and ultimately being codified in law in the twentieth century. Today the Leader of the Opposition is the leader of the largest party in the House of Commons that is not a part of the government, and effectively functions as a “prime minister in waiting.”

The emergence of the role of Leader of the Opposition was closely tied to the development of the notion of “the Opposition” itself, which in turn required the existence of well-defined political parties. While British politics in the eighteenth century was broadly divided between Whig and Tory factions, these were not organized political parties by the modern definition. Rather, they were loose alignments that had themselves evolved out of disputes in the late seventeenth century surrounding the succession of James II to the English throne in 1685 (the Exclusion Crisis) and the Glorious Revolution of 1688-89. Even so, many members of Parliament were not affiliated with either of these factions.

Over the course of the eighteenth century, those old disputes became less salient, and the government was largely dominated by the Whigs. By the 1780s, however, the Whig supremacy was eroding and starker divisions were beginning to emerge. A Whig faction associated with Charles James Fox, a prominent supporter of the American cause during the American Revolution, developed into a recognizable opposition to the government of Lord North around this time. For this reason, Fox is often regarded by convention as the first “leader of the opposition” in British history. The ideological polarization brought about by the French Revolution further sharpened these differences, and what is recognizably a two-party system began to take shape during the early nineteenth century.

Even so, the role of leader of the opposition was still not clearly defined at this time. As more organized political parties developed between the 1830s and 1850s (the Conservative and Liberal parties, in particular), each party had a recognized leader in both the House of Lords and the House of Commons. By convention, the overall leader of the opposition was often recognized as a former prime minister leading the party not forming the government, regardless of which house they sat in. Over time, however, it became increasingly impractical for a member of the Lords to serve as prime minister, and hence also to serve as a “prime minister in waiting.” The Parliament Act 1911 that established the supremacy of the House of Commons in passing legislation also de facto made the leader of the opposition in the House of Commons the overall leader of the opposition (the last opposition leader from the Lords was the Earl of Rosebery, in 1895-96).

It was only with the Ministers of the Crown Act 1937 that the office of Leader of the Opposition was formally recognized by statute, with the holder of the office receiving a state salary. The fact that the office now existed by statute and not simply by convention became particularly significant when a broad-based coalition government was formed during World War II: while the pre-war Leader of the Opposition, Clement Attlee of the Labour Party, was a serving member of the government, arrangements for made for a senior Labour member of Parliament to act as Leader of the Opposition in order to maintain normal parliamentary procedure in the House of Commons. By contrast, during the coalition government of 1915-16, it hadn’t been necessary to officially designate an opposition leader.

This section was last updated April 26 2026.

Leaders of the Opposition of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The early names on this list should be taken with a grain of salt. The identities of political parties remained fluid up to at least the 1830s, and until 1911 there were separate opposition leaders in the House of Lords and House of Commons who were sometimes of equal standing within their parties.

List of Leaders of His Majesty’s Most Loyal Opposition

Name

Political Party

Dates Office Held

Charles James Fox

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 24 1749; d. September 13 1806.

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Charles Fox,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 26 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-charles-fox-1/index.html.

Whig Party

1783 – February 7 1806

William Wyndham Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville

Date of birth/date of death: b. October 25 1759; d. January 12 1834.

Titles:

Raised to the Peerage of Great Britain as Baron Grenville, of Wotton under Bernewood in the County of Buckingham, November 27 1790.¹

References:

[1] “No. 13259,” The London Gazette, November 23 1790, 710, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/13259/page/710.

Whig Party

May 1807 – July 8 1817

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington

Date of birth/date of death: b. May 1 1769; d. September 14 1852.

Titles:

Honours:

Military ranks:

Elections:

Elected to the constituency of Rye, April 12 1806.¹⁵

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Sir Arthur Wellesley,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 24 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/sir-arthur-wellesley/index.html.

[2] “No. 16291,” The London Gazette, August 22 1809, 1342, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16291/page/1342.

[3] “No. 16576,” The London Gazette, February 18 1812, 335, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16576/page/335.

[4] “No. 16636,” The London Gazette, August 18 1812, 1677, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16636/page/1677.

[5] “No. 16894,” The London Gazette, May 3 1814, 936, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16894/page/936.

[6] “No. 15732,” The London Gazette, August 28 1804, 1069, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/15732/page/1069.

[7] “No. 16972,” The London Gazette, January 4 1815, 18, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16972/page/18.

[8] “No. 16708,” The London Gazette, March 2 1813, 458, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16708/page/458.

[9] “No. 13892,” The London Gazette, May 14 1796, 460, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/13892/page/460.

[10] “No. 15389,” The London Gazette, July 21 1801, 894, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/15389/page/894.

[11] “No. 15478,” The London Gazette, May 8 1802, 467, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/15478/page/467.

[12] “No. 16142,” The London Gazette, May 3 1808, 622, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16142/page/622.

[13] “No. 16510,” The London Gazette, August 3 1811, 1526, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16510/page/1526.

[14] “No. 16746,” The London Gazette, July 3 1813, 1270, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16746/page/1270.

[15] “No. 15908,” The London Gazette, April 12 1806, 449, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/15908/page/449.

Tory Party

April 12 1827 – January 8 1828

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington

Date of birth/date of death: b. May 1 1769; d. September 14 1852.

Titles:

Honours:

Military ranks:

Elections:

Elected to the constituency of Rye, April 12 1806.¹⁵

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Sir Arthur Wellesley,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 24 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/sir-arthur-wellesley/index.html.

[2] “No. 16291,” The London Gazette, August 22 1809, 1342, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16291/page/1342.

[3] “No. 16576,” The London Gazette, February 18 1812, 335, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16576/page/335.

[4] “No. 16636,” The London Gazette, August 18 1812, 1677, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16636/page/1677.

[5] “No. 16894,” The London Gazette, May 3 1814, 936, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16894/page/936.

[6] “No. 15732,” The London Gazette, August 28 1804, 1069, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/15732/page/1069.

[7] “No. 16972,” The London Gazette, January 4 1815, 18, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16972/page/18.

[8] “No. 16708,” The London Gazette, March 2 1813, 458, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16708/page/458.

[9] “No. 13892,” The London Gazette, May 14 1796, 460, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/13892/page/460.

[10] “No. 15389,” The London Gazette, July 21 1801, 894, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/15389/page/894.

[11] “No. 15478,” The London Gazette, May 8 1802, 467, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/15478/page/467.

[12] “No. 16142,” The London Gazette, May 3 1808, 622, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16142/page/622.

[13] “No. 16510,” The London Gazette, August 3 1811, 1526, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16510/page/1526.

[14] “No. 16746,” The London Gazette, July 3 1813, 1270, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16746/page/1270.

[15] “No. 15908,” The London Gazette, April 12 1806, 449, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/15908/page/449.

Tory Party

November 22 1830 – November 14 1834

Henry William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne

Date of birth/date of death: b. March 15 1779; d. November 24 1848.

Titles:

Succeeded as the 3rd Viscount Melbourne in the Peerage of the Ireland and Baron Melbourne in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, July 22 1828.¹

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “William Lamb,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 25 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-william-lamb/index.html.

Whig Party

November 17 1834 – April 18 1835

Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet

Date of birth/date of death: b. February 5 1788; d. July 2 1850.

Titles:

Succeeded to the Peel baronetcy of Drayton Manor and Bury, May 3 1830.

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Sir Robert Peel,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 24 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/sir-robert-peel-1/index.html.

Conservative Party

April 18 1835 – August 30 1841

Henry William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne

Date of birth/date of death: b. March 15 1779; d. November 24 1848.

Titles:

Succeeded as the 3rd Viscount Melbourne in the Peerage of the Ireland and Baron Melbourne in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, July 22 1828.¹

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “William Lamb,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 25 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-william-lamb/index.html.

Whig Party

August 30 1841 – October 1842

Lord John Russell

Date of birth/date of death: b. August 18 1792; d. May 28 1878.

Titles:

Known by the courtesy title Lord John Russell from birth until July 27 1861. Raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Earl Russell and Viscount Amberley, July 27 1861.¹

Honours:

Created a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, May 21 1862.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Lord John Russell,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 24 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/lord-john-russell/index.html.

[2] “No. 22534,” The London Gazette, July 30 1861, 3193, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/22534/page/3193.

Whig Party

October 1842 – June 30 1846

Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, Baron Stanley of Bickerstaffe

Date of birth/date of death: b. March 29 1799; d. October 23 1869.

Titles:

Honours:

Created a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, July 1 1859.² Created a Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, June 30 1869.³

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Edward Stanley,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 24 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/hon-edward-stanley-3/index.html.

[2] “No. 22281,” The London Gazette, July 1 1859, 2549, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/22281/page/2549.

[3] “No. 7968,” The Edinburgh Gazette, July 2 1869, 794, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/Edinburgh/issue/7968/page/794.

Conservative Party

June 30 1846 – February 21 1852

Lord John Russell

Date of birth/date of death: b. August 18 1792; d. May 28 1878.

Titles:

Known by the courtesy title Lord John Russell from birth until July 27 1861. Raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Earl Russell and Viscount Amberley, July 27 1861.¹

Honours:

Created a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, May 21 1862.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Lord John Russell,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 24 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/lord-john-russell/index.html.

[2] “No. 22534,” The London Gazette, July 30 1861, 3193, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/22534/page/3193.

Whig Party

February 23 1852 – December 19 1852

Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby

Date of birth/date of death: b. March 29 1799; d. October 23 1869.

Titles:

Honours:

Created a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, July 1 1859.² Created a Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, June 30 1869.³

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Edward Stanley,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 24 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/hon-edward-stanley-3/index.html.

[2] “No. 22281,” The London Gazette, July 1 1859, 2549, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/22281/page/2549.

[3] “No. 7968,” The Edinburgh Gazette, July 2 1869, 794, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/Edinburgh/issue/7968/page/794.

Conservative Party

December 19 1852 – February 20 1858

Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston

Date of birth/date of death: b. October 20 1784; d. October 18 1865.

Titles:

Succeeded as the 3rd Viscount Palmerston in the Peerage of the Ireland, April 17 1802. (citation needed)

Honours:

Created a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, July 12 1856.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Viscount Palmerston,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 24 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/viscount-palmerston/index.html.

[2] “No. 21901,” The London Gazette, July 15 1856, 2451, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/21901/page/2451.

Whig Party

February 20 1858 – June 1859

Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby

Date of birth/date of death: b. March 29 1799; d. October 23 1869.

Titles:

Honours:

Created a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, July 1 1859.² Created a Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, June 30 1869.³

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Edward Stanley,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 24 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/hon-edward-stanley-3/index.html.

[2] “No. 22281,” The London Gazette, July 1 1859, 2549, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/22281/page/2549.

[3] “No. 7968,” The Edinburgh Gazette, July 2 1869, 794, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/Edinburgh/issue/7968/page/794.

Conservative Party

June 11 1859 – June 28 1866

John Russell, 1st Earl Russell

Date of birth/date of death: b. August 18 1792; d. May 28 1878.

Titles:

Known by the courtesy title Lord John Russell from birth until July 27 1861. Raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Earl Russell and Viscount Amberley, July 27 1861.¹

Honours:

Created a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, May 21 1862.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Lord John Russell,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 24 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/lord-john-russell/index.html.

[2] “No. 22534,” The London Gazette, July 30 1861, 3193, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/22534/page/3193.

Liberal Party

June 28 1866 – December 3 1868

Benjamin Disraeli

Date of birth/date of death: b. December 21 1804; d. April 19 1881.

Honours:

Created a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, July 1878. (citation needed) Raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Earl of Beaconsfield and Viscount Hughenden, August 16 1876.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Benjamin Disraeli,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 23 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-benjamin-disraeli/index.html.

[2] “No. 24355,” The London Gazette, August 18 1876, 4594, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/24355/page/4594.

Conservative Party

December 1 1868 – February 17 1874

William Ewart Gladstone

Date of birth/date of death: b. December 29 1809; d. May 19 1898.

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “W.E. Gladstone,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 23 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-we-gladstone/index.html.

Liberal Party

February 20 1874 – February 3 1875

Spencer Compton Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington

Date of birth/date of death: b. July 23 1833; d. March 24 1908.

Titles:

Held the courtesy titles Lord Cavendish of Keighley, 1834 – 1858, and Marquess of Hartington, 1858 – December 21 1891 (citation needed). Succeeded as the 8th Duke of Devonshire and associated titles (Earl of Devonshire, Earl of Burlington, Baron Cavendish of Hardwick, Baron Cavendish of Keighley), December 21 1891.¹

Honours:

Created a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, 1892 (citation needed).

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Marquess of Hartington,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 24 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/marquess-of-hartington/index.html.

Liberal Party

February 3 1875 – March 21 1880

Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield

Date of birth/date of death: b. December 21 1804; d. April 19 1881.

Honours:

Created a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, July 1878. (citation needed) Raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Earl of Beaconsfield and Viscount Hughenden, August 16 1876.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Benjamin Disraeli,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 23 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-benjamin-disraeli/index.html.

[2] “No. 24355,” The London Gazette, August 18 1876, 4594, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/24355/page/4594.

Conservative Party

April 21 1880 – April 19 1881

Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury

Date of birth/date of death: b. February 3 1830; d. August 22 1903.

Titles:

Held the courtesy title Viscount Cranborne, June 1865 – April 12 1868. Succeeded as the 3rd Marquess of Salisbury in the Peerage of Great Britain, April 12 1868. (citations needed)

Honours:

Created a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, 1878 (citation needed).

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Lord Robert Cecil,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 23 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/lord-robert-cecil-1/index.html.

Conservative Party

May 1881 – June 9 1885

William Ewart Gladstone

Date of birth/date of death: b. December 29 1809; d. May 19 1898.

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “W.E. Gladstone,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 23 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-we-gladstone/index.html.

Liberal Party

June 9 1885 – January 28 1886

Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury

Date of birth/date of death: b. February 3 1830; d. August 22 1903.

Titles:

Held the courtesy title Viscount Cranborne, June 1865 – April 12 1868. Succeeded as the 3rd Marquess of Salisbury in the Peerage of Great Britain, April 12 1868. (citations needed)

Honours:

Created a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, 1878 (citation needed).

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Lord Robert Cecil,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 23 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/lord-robert-cecil-1/index.html.

Conservative Party

January 28 1886 – July 20 1886

William Ewart Gladstone

Date of birth/date of death: b. December 29 1809; d. May 19 1898.

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “W.E. Gladstone,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 23 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-we-gladstone/index.html.

Liberal Party

July 20 1886 – August 11 1892

Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury

Date of birth/date of death: b. February 3 1830; d. August 22 1903.

Titles:

Held the courtesy title Viscount Cranborne, June 1865 – April 12 1868. Succeeded as the 3rd Marquess of Salisbury in the Peerage of Great Britain, April 12 1868. (citations needed)

Honours:

Created a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, 1878 (citation needed).

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Lord Robert Cecil,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 23 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/lord-robert-cecil-1/index.html.

Conservative Party

August 11 1892 – June 22 1895

Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery

Date of birth/date of death: b. May 7 1847; d. May 21 1929.

Titles:

Honours:

Created a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, 1892 (citation needed).

References:

[1] Hugh Chisholm, “Rosebery, Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of,” in Encyclopædia Britannica (1911), Vol. 23 (11th ed.).

[2] “No. 28512,” The London Gazette, July 11 1911, 5168, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28512/page/5168.

Liberal Party

June 22 1895 – October 6 1896

Sir William George Granville Venables Vernon Harcourt

Date of birth/date of death: b. October 14 1827; d. October 1 1904.

Honours:

Created a Knight Bachelor, June 29 1873.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “William Vernon-Harcourt,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 23 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-william-vernon-harcourt/index.html.

[2] Britannica Editors. “Sir William Harcourt.” Encyclopedia Britannica, October 10, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Harcourt.

Liberal Party

October 6 1896 – December 8 1898

Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman

Date of birth/date of death: b. September 7 1836; d. April 22 1908.

Honours:

Created a Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, June 29 1895.²

References:

[2] “No. 26639,” The London Gazette, July 2 1895, 3740, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/26639/page/3740.

Liberal Party

February 6 1899 – December 5 1905

Arthur James Balfour

Date of birth/date of death: b. July 25 1848; d. March 19 1930.

Honours:

Created a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, March 3 1922.² Raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Earl of Balfour and Viscount Traprain, May 5 1922.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Arthur Balfour,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 22 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-arthur-balfour/index.html.

[2] “No. 32638,” The London Gazette, March 14 1922, 2137, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/32638/page/2137.

[3] “No. 32691,” The London Gazette, May 5 1922, 3512, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/32691/page/3512.

Conservative Party

December 5 1905 – February 8 1906

Joseph Chamberlain

Date of birth/date of death: b. July 8 1836; d. July 2 1914.

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Joseph Chamberlain,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 22 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-joseph-chamberlain/index.html.

Liberal Unionist Party

February 8 1906 – February 27 1906

Arthur James Balfour

Date of birth/date of death: b. July 25 1848; d. March 19 1930.

Honours:

Created a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, March 3 1922.² Raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Earl of Balfour and Viscount Traprain, May 5 1922.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Arthur Balfour,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 22 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-arthur-balfour/index.html.

[2] “No. 32638,” The London Gazette, March 14 1922, 2137, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/32638/page/2137.

[3] “No. 32691,” The London Gazette, May 5 1922, 3512, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/32691/page/3512.

Conservative Party

February 27 1906 – November 13 1911

Andrew Bonar Law

Date of birth/date of death: b. September 16 1858; d. October 30 1923.

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Bonar Law,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 22 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-bonar-law/index.html.

Conservative Party

November 13 1911 – May 25 1915

Sir Edward Henry Carson¹

Date of birth/date of death: b. February 9 1854; d. October 22 1935.

Honours:

Created a Knight Bachelor, May 11 1900.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Edward Carson,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 22 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-edward-carson/index.html.

[2] “No. 27192,” The London Gazette, Supplement, May 15 1900, 3070, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/27192/page/3070.

Irish Unionist Alliance

October 19 1915 – December 6 1916

Herbert Henry Asquith

Date of birth/date of death: b. September 12 1852; d. February 15 1928.

Honours:

Raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Earl of Oxford and Asquith and Viscount Asquith, February 9 1925.² Created a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, June 1 1925.³

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Herbert Asquith,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 22 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-herbert-asquith/index.html.

[2] “No. 33019,” The London Gazette, February 10 1925, 1004, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/33019/page/1004.

[3] “No. 33055,” The London Gazette, June 9 1925, 3869, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/33055/page/3869.

Liberal Party

December 6 1916 – December 14 1918

Sir Donald Maclean

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 9 1864; d. June 15 1932.

Honours:

Created a Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, June 4 1917.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Donald Maclean,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 22 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-donald-maclean-1/index.html.

[2] “No. 30250,” The London Gazette, Supplement, February 10 1925, 8795, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30250/supplement/8795.

Liberal Party

December 14 1918 – February 12 1920

Herbert Henry Asquith

Date of birth/date of death: b. September 12 1852; d. February 15 1928.

Honours:

Raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Earl of Oxford and Asquith and Viscount Asquith, February 9 1925.² Created a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, June 1 1925.³

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Herbert Asquith,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 22 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-herbert-asquith/index.html.

[2] “No. 33019,” The London Gazette, February 10 1925, 1004, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/33019/page/1004.

[3] “No. 33055,” The London Gazette, June 9 1925, 3869, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/33055/page/3869.

Liberal Party

February 12 1920 – November 21 1922

James Ramsay MacDonald

Date of birth/date of death: b. October 12 1866; d. November 9 1937.

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Ramsay MacDonald,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 21 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-ramsay-macdonald/index.html.

Labour Party

November 21 1922 – January 22 1924

Stanley Baldwin

Date of birth/date of death: b. August 3 1867; d. December 14 1947.

Honours:

Created a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, May 28 1937.² Raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Earl Baldwin of Bewdley and Viscount Corvedale, June 8 1937.³

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Stanley Baldwin,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 21 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-stanley-baldwin/index.html.

[2] “No. 34403,” The London Gazette, June 1 1937, 3508, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34403/page/3508.

[3] “No. 34405,” The London Gazette, June 8 1937, 3663, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34405/page/3663.

Conservative Party

January 22 1924 – November 4 1924

James Ramsay MacDonald

Date of birth/date of death: b. October 12 1866; d. November 9 1937.

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Ramsay MacDonald,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 21 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-ramsay-macdonald/index.html.

Labour Party

November 4 1924 – June 5 1929

Stanley Baldwin

Date of birth/date of death: b. August 3 1867; d. December 14 1947.

Honours:

Created a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, May 28 1937.² Raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Earl Baldwin of Bewdley and Viscount Corvedale, June 8 1937.³

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Stanley Baldwin,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 21 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-stanley-baldwin/index.html.

[2] “No. 34403,” The London Gazette, June 1 1937, 3508, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34403/page/3508.

[3] “No. 34405,” The London Gazette, June 8 1937, 3663, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34405/page/3663.

Conservative Party

June 5 1929 – August 24 1931

Arthur Henderson

Date of birth/date of death: b. September 13 1863; d. October 20 1935.

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Arthur Henderson,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 21 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-arthur-henderson/index.html.

Labour Party

August 28 1931 – October 27 1931

George Lansbury

Date of birth/date of death: b. February 22 1859; d. May 7 1940.

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “George Lansbury,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 21 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-george-lansbury/index.html.

Labour Party

November 5 1931 – October 8 1935

Clement Richard Attlee

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 3 1883; d. October 8 1967.

Honours:

Raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Earl Attlee and Viscount Prestwood, December 16 1955.² Created a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, April 7 1956.³

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Clement Attlee,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 21 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-clement-attlee/index.html.

[2] “No. 40656,” The London Gazette, December 16 1955, 7079, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/40656/page/7079.

[3] “No. 40751,” The London Gazette, April 10 1956, 2095, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/40751/page/2095/.

Labour Party

October 8 1935 – May 11 1940

Hastings Bertrand Lees-Smith²

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 26 1878; d. December 18 1941.

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Hastings Lees-Smith,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 21 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-hastings-lees-smith/index.html.

Labour Party

May 22 1940 – December 18 1941

Frederick William Pethick-Lawrence²

Date of birth/date of death: b. December 28 1871; d. September 10 1961.

Honours:

Raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Baron Pethick-Lawrence, August 16 1945.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Frederick Pethick-Lawrencne,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 21 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-frederick-pethick-lawrence/index.html.

[2] “No. 37234,” The London Gazette, August 21 1945, 4227, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/37234/page/4227.

Labour Party

January 21 1942 – February 1942

Arthur Greenwood²

Date of birth/date of death: b. February 8 1880; d. June 9 1954.

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Arthur Greenwood,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 21 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-arthur-greenwood/index.html.

Labour Party

February 1942 – May 23 1945

Clement Richard Attlee

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 3 1883; d. October 8 1967.

Honours:

Raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Earl Attlee and Viscount Prestwood, December 16 1955.² Created a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, April 7 1956.³

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Clement Attlee,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 21 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-clement-attlee/index.html.

[2] “No. 40656,” The London Gazette, December 16 1955, 7079, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/40656/page/7079.

[3] “No. 40751,” The London Gazette, April 10 1956, 2095, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/40751/page/2095/.

Labour Party

May 23 1945 – July 26 1945

Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill

Date of birth/date of death: b. November 30 1874; d. January 24 1965.

Honours:

Created a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, April 24 1953.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Winston Churchill,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 21 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-winston-churchill/index.html.

[2] “No. 39838,” The London Gazette, April 28 1953, 2357, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/39838/page/2357/.

Conservative Party

July 26 1945 – October 26 1951

Clement Richard Attlee

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 3 1883; d. October 8 1967.

Honours:

Raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Earl Attlee and Viscount Prestwood, December 16 1955.² Created a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, April 7 1956.³

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Clement Attlee,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 21 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-clement-attlee/index.html.

[2] “No. 40656,” The London Gazette, December 16 1955, 7079, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/40656/page/7079.

[3] “No. 40751,” The London Gazette, April 10 1956, 2095, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/40751/page/2095/.

Labour Party

October 26 1951 – November 25 1955

Herbert Stanley Morrison

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 3 1888; d. March 6 1965.

Honours:

Created Baron Morrison of Lambeth, November 2 1959.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Herbert Morrison,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 21 2026,https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-herbert-morrison/index.html.

[2] “No. 41860,” The London Gazette, November 3 1959, 6942, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/41860/page/6942.

Labour Party

November 25 1955 – December 14 1955

Hugh Todd Naylor Gaitskell

Date of birth/date of death: b. April 9 1906; d. January 18 1963.

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Hugh Gaitskell,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 21 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-hugh-gaitskell/index.html.

Labour Party

December 14 1955 – January 18 1963

George Alfred Brown

Date of birth/date of death: b. September 2 1914; d. June 2 1985.

Honours:

Created Baron George-Brown, November 6 1970.²

References:

[1] [1] UK Parliament, “George Brown,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 21 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-george-brown-1/index.html.

[2] “No. 45229,” The London Gazette, November 10 1970, 12333, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/45229/page/12333.

Labour Party

January 18 1963 – February 14 1963

James Harold Wilson

Date of birth/date of death: b. March 11 1916; d. May 23 1995.

Honours:

Created Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, April 23 1976.² Created Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, September 16 1983.³

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Sir Harold Wilson.” Accessed April 20, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/1016/career.

[2] “No. 46885,” The London Gazette, April 27 1976, 6047, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/46885/page/6047.

[3] “No. 49485,” The London Gazette, September 21 1983, 12361, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/49485/page/12361.

Labour Party

February 14 1963 – October 16 1964

Sir Alexander Frederick “Alec” Douglas-Home

Date of birth/date of death: b. July 2 1903; d. October 9 1995.

Honours:

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Sir Alec Douglas-Home,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 20 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/sir-alec-douglas-home/index.html.

[2] “No. 42815,” The London Gazette, October 23 1962, 8275, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/42815/page/8275.

[3] “No. 46441,” The London Gazette, December 24 1974, 13203, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/46441/page/.

Conservative Party

October 16 1964 – July 28 1965

Edward Richard George “Ted” Heath

Date of birth/date of death: b. July 9 1916; d. July 17 2005.

Honours:

Appointed Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter, April 23 1992.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Sir Edward Heath.” Accessed April 20, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/195/career.

[2] “No. 52903,” The London Gazette, April 24 1992, 7175, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/52903/page/7175.

Conservative Party

July 28 1965 – June 19 1970

James Harold Wilson

Date of birth/date of death: b. March 11 1916; d. May 23 1995.

Honours:

Created Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, April 23 1976.² Created Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, September 16 1983.³

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Sir Harold Wilson.” Accessed April 20, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/1016/career.

[2] “No. 46885,” The London Gazette, April 27 1976, 6047, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/46885/page/6047.

[3] “No. 49485,” The London Gazette, September 21 1983, 12361, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/49485/page/12361.

Labour Party

June 19 1970 – March 4 1974

Edward Richard George “Ted” Heath

Date of birth/date of death: b. July 9 1916; d. July 17 2005.

Honours:

Appointed Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter, April 23 1992.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Sir Edward Heath.” Accessed April 20, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/195/career.

[2] “No. 52903,” The London Gazette, April 24 1992, 7175, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/52903/page/7175.

Conservative Party

March 4 1974 – February 11 1975

Margaret Hilda Thatcher

Date of birth/date of death: b. October 13 1925; d. April 8 2013.

Honours:

Created Baroness Thatcher, June 26 1992.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Baroness Thatcher.” Accessed April 20, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/953/career.

[2] “No. 52978,” The London Gazette, July 1 1992, 11045, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/52978/page/11045.

Conservative Party

February 11 1975 – May 4 1979

Leonard James Callaghan

Date of birth/date of death: b. March 27 1912; d. March 26 2005.

Honours:

Created Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, November 5 1987.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Lord Callaghan of Cardiff.” Accessed April 20, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/3326/career.

[2] “No. 51118,” The London Gazette, November 12 1987, 13941, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/51118/page/13941.

Labour Party

May 4 1979 – November 10 1980

Michael Mackintosh Foot

Date of birth/date of death: b. July 23 1913; d. March 3 2010.

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Michael Foot.” Accessed April 20, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/831/career.

Labour Party

November 10 1980 – October 2 1983

Neil Gordon Kinnock

Date of birth/date of death: b. March 28 1942.

Honours:

Created Baron Kinnock, January 31 2005.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Lord Kinnock.” Accessed April 20, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/693/career.

[2] “No. 57549,” The London Gazette, February 2 2005, 1249, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/57549/page/1249.

Labour Party

October 2 1983 – July 18 1992

John Smith

Date of birth/date of death: b. September 13 1938; d. May 12 1994.

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for John Smith.” Accessed April 20, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/564/career.

Labour Party

July 18 1992 – May 12 1994

Margaret Mary Beckett

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 15 1943.

Titles:

Received a life peerage as Baroness Beckett, of Old Normanton in the City of Derby, August 14 2024.²

Honours:

Created a Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, December 31 2012.³ Created a Dame Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, December 31 2023.⁴

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Baroness Beckett.” Accessed April 20, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/328/career.

[2] “No. 64493,” The London Gazette, August 20 2024, 16086, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/64493/page/16086.

[3] “No. 60367,” The London Gazette, Supplement, December 29 2012, 6, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/60367/supplement/6.

[4] “No. 64269,” The London Gazette, Supplement, December 30 2023, N8, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/64269/supplement/N8.

Labour Party

May 12 1994 – July 21 1994

Anthony Charles Lynton “Tony” Blair

Date of birth/date of death: b. May 6 1953.

Honours:

Appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Garter, January 1 2022.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Tony Blair.” Accessed April 20, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/512/career.

[2] “No. 63581,” The London Gazette, January 10 2022, 214, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/63581/page/214.

Labour Party

July 21 1994 – May 2 1997

John Major

Date of birth/date of death: b. March 29 1943.

Honours:

Appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Garter, April 23 2005.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for John Major.” Accessed April 9, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/119/career.

[2] “No. 57622,” The London Gazette, April 25 2005, 5363, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/57622/page/5363.

Conservative Party

May 2 1997 – June 19 1997

William Jefferson Hague

Date of birth/date of death: b. March 26 1961.

Titles:

Received a life peerage as Baron Hague of Richmond, of Richmond in the County of North Yorkshire, October 9 2015.²

Honours:

Created a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, December 30 2025.³

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Lord Hague of Richmond.” Accessed April 9, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/379/career.

[2] “No. 27625,” The Edinburgh Gazette, Supplement, October 14 2015, 1726, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/Edinburgh/issue/27625/page/1726.

[3] “No. 64940,” The London Gazette, Supplement, December 30 2025, N4, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/64940/supplement/N4.

Conservative Party

June 19 1997 – September 13 2001

George Iain Duncan Smith

Date of birth/date of death: b. April 9 1954.

Honours:

Appointed Knight Bachelor in the 2020 New Year Honours.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Sir Iain Duncan Smith.” Accessed April 9, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/152/career.

[2] “No. 62866,” The London Gazette, Supplement, December 28 2019, N2, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/62866/supplement/N2.

Conservative Party

September 13 2001 – November 6 2003

Michael Howard

Date of birth/date of death: b. July 7 1941.

Honours:

Created Baron Howard of Lympne in the Dissolution Honours 2010.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Lord Howard of Lympne.” Accessed April 9, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/82/career.

[2] “No. 59491,” The London Gazette, July 19 2010, 13713, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/59491/page/13713.

Conservative Party

November 6 2003 – December 6 2005

David William Donald Cameron

Date of birth/date of death: b. October 9 1966.

Titles:

Received a life peerage as Baron Cameron of Chipping Norton, of Chipping Norton in the County of Oxfordshire, November 17 2023.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for David Cameron.” Accessed April 9, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/1467/career.

[2] “No. 64237,” The London Gazette, November 22 2023, 23554, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/64237/page/23554.

Conservative Party

December 6 2005 – May 11 2010

Harriet Ruth Harman

Date of birth/date of death: b. July 30 1950.

Titles:

Received a life peerage as Baroness Harman, of Peckham in the London Borough of Southwark, August 19 2024.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Harriet Harman.” Accessed April 9, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/150/career.

[2] “No. 64496,” The London Gazette, August 22, 2024, 16342, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/64496/page/16342.

Labour Party

May 11 2010 – September 25 2010

Edward Samuel “Ed” Miliband

Date of birth/date of death: b. December 24 1969.

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Ed Miliband.” Accessed April 9, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/1510/career.

Labour Party

September 25 2010 – May 8 2015

Harriet Ruth Harman

Date of birth/date of death: b. July 30 1950.

Titles:

Received a life peerage as Baroness Harman, of Peckham in the London Borough of Southwark, August 19 2024.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Harriet Harman.” Accessed April 9, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/150/career.

[2] “No. 64496,” The London Gazette, August 22, 2024, 16342, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/64496/page/16342.

Labour Party

May 8 2015 – September 12 2015

Jeremy Bernard Corbyn

Date of birth/date of death: b. May 26 1949.

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Jeremy Corbyn.” Accessed April 9, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/185/career.

Labour Party

September 12 2015 – April 4 2020

Sir Keir Rodney Starmer

Date of birth/date of death: b. September 2 1962.

Honors:

Created a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, December 31 2013.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Sir Keir Starmer.” Accessed April 9, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/4514/career.

[2] “No. 60728,” The London Gazette, Supplement, December 31, 2013, 3, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/60728/supplement/3.

Labour Party

April 4 2020 – July 5 2024

Rishi Sunak

Date of birth/date of death: b. May 12 1980.

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Rishi Sunak.” Accessed April 9, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/4483/career.

Conservative Party

July 5 2024 – November 2 2024

Olukemi Olufunto Adegoke “Kemi” Badenoch

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 2 1980.

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Mrs Kemi Badenoch.” Accessed April 9, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/4597/career.

Conservative Party

November 2 2024 – present

Notes and References

[1] Liberal prime minister H.H. Asquith formed a coalition government composed of members of the Liberal, Conservative, and Labour parties in May 1915. Until the coalition broke up in December 1916 there was no recognized leader of the opposition. Sir Edward Carson of the Irish Unionist Alliance led his party out of the coalition in October 1915, and was de facto Leader of the Opposition for the next fourteen months.

[2] The Labour Party under Leader of the Opposition Clement Attlee joined a coalition government led by Conservative Prime Minister Winston Churchill in May 1940. For the remainder of the war in Europe, Attlee and other senior Labour figures held positions in the government (Attlee himself was de facto Deputy Prime Minister). As the post of Leader of the Opposition was by now legally defined by statute, and in order to keep Parliament functioning normally, three different Labour parliamentarians held the office de jure for the duration of the war in Europe.

Deputy Leaders of the Opposition of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

List of Deputy Leaders of the Opposition (1920 – 2005)

Name

Political Party

Dates Office Held

Sir Donald Maclean

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 9 1864; d. June 15 1932.

Honours:

Created a Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, June 4 1917.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Donald Maclean,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 22 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-donald-maclean-1/index.html.

[2] “No. 30250,” The London Gazette, Supplement, February 10 1925, 8795, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30250/supplement/8795.

Liberal Party

February 12 1920 – November 15 1922

Clement Richard Attlee

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 3 1883; d. October 8 1967.

Honours:

Raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Earl Attlee and Viscount Prestwood, December 16 1955.² Created a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, April 7 1956.³

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Clement Attlee,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 21 2026, https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-clement-attlee/index.html.

[2] “No. 40656,” The London Gazette, December 16 1955, 7079, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/40656/page/7079.

[3] “No. 40751,” The London Gazette, April 10 1956, 2095, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/40751/page/2095/.

Labour Party

November 5 1931 – October 8 1935

Herbert Stanley Morrison

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 3 1888; d. March 6 1965.

Honours:

Created Baron Morrison of Lambeth, November 2 1959.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament, “Herbert Morrison,” Historic Hansard 1803–2005, accessed April 21 2026,https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-herbert-morrison/index.html.

[2] “No. 41860,” The London Gazette, November 3 1959, 6942, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/41860/page/6942.

Labour Party

October 26 1951 – November 25 1955

Edward Watson Short

Date of birth/date of death: b. December 17 1912; d. May 4 2012.

Titles:

Received a life peerage as Baron Glenamara, of Glenridding in the County of Cumbria, January 28 1977.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Lord Glenamara.” Accessed May 4, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/1692/career.

[2] “No. 47138,” The London Gazette, February 1 1977, 1427, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/47138/page/1427.

Labour Party

April 25 1972 – March 4 1974

The office of Deputy Leader of the Opposition was left vacant from March 4 1974 until March 12 1974.

Leonard Robert Carr

Date of birth/date of death: b. November 11 1916; d. February 17 2012.

Titles:

Received a life peerage as Baron Carr of Hadley, of Monken Hadley of Greater London, January 15 1976.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Lord Carr of Hadley.” Accessed May 4, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/1621/career.

[2] “No. 46803,” The London Gazette, January 20 1976, 919, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/46803/page/919.

Conservative Party

March 12 1974 – February 11 1975

William Stephen Ian Whitelaw

Date of birth/date of death: b. June 28 1918; d. July 1 1999.

Titles:

Raised to the peerage as Viscount Whitelaw, of Penrith in the County of Cumbria, June 16 1983.²

Honours:

Created a Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, November 30 1990.³

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for The Viscount Whitelaw.” Accessed May 4, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/1722/career.

[2] “No. 49394,” The London Gazette, June 21 1983, 8199, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/49394/page/8199.

[3] “No. 52351,” The London Gazette, November 30 1990, 18550, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/52351/page/18550.

Conservative Party

February 11 1975 – May 4 1979

Michael Mackintosh Foot

Date of birth/date of death: b. July 23 1913; d. March 3 2010.

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Michael Foot.” Accessed April 20, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/831/career.

Labour Party

May 4 1979 – November 13 1980

Denis Winston Healey

Date of birth/date of death: b. August 30 1917; d. October 3 2015.

Titles:

Received a life peerage as Baron Healey, of Riddlesden in the County of West Yorkshire, June 29 1992.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Lord Healey.” Accessed May 4, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/979/career.

[2] “No. 52979,” The London Gazette, July 2 1992, 11141, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/52979/page/11141.

Labour Party

November 13 1980 – October 2 1983

Roy Sydney George Hattersley

Date of birth/date of death: b. December 28 1932.

Titles:

Received a life peerage as Baron Hattersley, of Sparkbrook in the County of West Midlands, November 24 1997.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Lord Hattersley.” Accessed May 3, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/858/career.

[2] “No. 54961,” The London Gazette, November 27 1997, 13331, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/54961/page/13331.

Labour Party

October 2 1983 – July 18 1992

Margaret Mary Beckett

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 15 1943.

Titles:

Received a life peerage as Baroness Beckett, of Old Normanton in the City of Derby, August 14 2024.²

Honours:

Created a Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, December 31 2012.³ Created a Dame Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, December 31 2023.⁴

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Baroness Beckett.” Accessed April 20, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/328/career.

[2] “No. 64493,” The London Gazette, August 20 2024, 16086, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/64493/page/16086.

[3] “No. 60367,” The London Gazette, Supplement, December 29 2012, 6, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/60367/supplement/6.

[4] “No. 64269,” The London Gazette, Supplement, December 30 2023, N8, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/64269/supplement/N8.

Labour Party

July 18 1992 – July 21 1994

The office of Deputy Leader of the Opposition was left vacant from May 12 1994 until July 21 1994.

John Leslie Prescott

Date of birth/date of death: b. May 31 1938; d. November 20 2024.

Titles:

Received a life peerage as Baron Prescott, of Kingston upon Hull in the County of East Yorkshire, June 15 2010.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Lord Prescott.” Accessed May 3, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/374/career.

[2] “No. 59459,” The London Gazette, Supplement, June 15 2010, 11151, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/59459/supplement/11151.

Labour Party

July 21 1994 – May 2 1997

Michael Ray Dibdin Heseltine

Date of birth/date of death: b. March 21 1933.

Titles:

Received a life peerage as Baron Heseltine, of Thenford in the County of Northamptonshire, July 12 2001.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Lord Heseltine.” Accessed May 3, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/94/career.

[2] “No. 56278,” The London Gazette, July 18 2001, 8487, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/56278/page/8487.

Conservative Party

May 2 1997 – June 19 1997

The office of Deputy Leader of the Opposition was left vacant from June 19 1997 until June 1 1998.

Peter Bruce Lilley

Date of birth/date of death: b. August 23 1943.

Titles:

Received a life peerage as Baron Lilley of Offa, in the County of Hertfordshire, June 18 2018.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Lord Lilley.” Accessed May 3, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/68/career.

[2] “No. 62331,” The London Gazette, June 22 2018, 11112, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/62331/page/11112.

Conservative Party

June 1 1998 – June 15 1999

The office of Deputy Leader of the Opposition was left vacant from June 15 1999 until February 1 2000.

Michael Denzil Xavier Portillo

Date of birth/date of death: b. May 26 1953.

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Michael Portillo.” Accessed April 28, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/187/career.

Conservative Party

February 1 2000 – September 18 2001

Michael Andrew Foster Jude Kerr, 13th Marquess of Lothian

Date of birth/date of death: b. July 7 1945; d. October 1 2024.

Titles:

Known by the courtesy title Earl of Ancram from birth until October 11 2004. Succeeded his father as the 13th Marquess of Lothian in the Peerage of Scotland as well as to all subsidiary titles (Earl of Lothian, Earl of Ancram, Viscount of Briene, Lord Newbattle, Lord Jedburgh, Lord Kerr of Newbattle, Lord Kerr of Nisbet, Langnewtoun, and Dolphinstoun, Lord Kerr of Newbattle, Oxnam, Jedburgh, Dolphinstoun and Nisbet, and Baron Ker, of Kersheugh in the County of Roxburgh), October 11 2004. Received a life peerage as Baron Kerr of Monteviot, of Monteviot in Roxburghshire, November 22 2010.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for The Marquess of Lothian.” Accessed April 28, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/259/career.

[2] “No. 59614,” The London Gazette, November 25 2010, 22705, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/59614/page/22705.

Conservative Party

September 18 2001 – December 6 2005

List of Senior Members of the Shadow Cabinet (2005 – 2010)

Name

Political Party

Dates Office Held

William Jefferson Hague

Date of birth/date of death: b. March 26 1961.

Titles:

Received a life peerage as Baron Hague of Richmond, of Richmond in the County of North Yorkshire, October 9 2015.²

Honours:

Created a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, December 30 2025.³

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Lord Hague of Richmond.” Accessed April 9, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/379/career.

[2] “No. 27625,” The Edinburgh Gazette, Supplement, October 14 2015, 1726, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/Edinburgh/issue/27625/page/1726.

[3] “No. 64940,” The London Gazette, Supplement, December 30 2025, N4, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/64940/supplement/N4.

Conservative Party

December 6 2005 – May 11 2010

List of Shadow Deputy Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom (2010 – 2015)

Name

Political Party

Dates Office Held

John Whitaker “Jack” Straw

Date of birth/date of death: b. August 3 1946.

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Jack Straw.” Accessed April 28, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/463/career.

Labour Party

May 11 2010 – September 25 2010

Harriet Ruth Harman

Date of birth/date of death: b. July 30 1950.

Titles:

Received a life peerage as Baroness Harman, of Peckham in the London Borough of Southwark, August 19 2024.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Harriet Harman.” Accessed April 9, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/150/career.

[2] “No. 64496,” The London Gazette, August 22, 2024, 16342, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/64496/page/16342.

Labour Party

October 7 2010 – May 8 2015

List of Shadow First Secretaries of State (2015 – 2023)

Name

Political Party

Dates Office Held

Hilary James Wedgwood Benn

Date of birth/date of death: b. November 26 1953.

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Hilary Benn.” Accessed April 28, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/413/career.

Labour Party

May 11 2015 – September 13 2015

Angela Eagle

Date of birth/date of death: b. February 17 1961.

Honors:

Created a Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, December 31 2020.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Dame Angela Eagle.” Accessed April 28, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/491/career.

[2] “No. 63218,” The London Gazette, Supplement, December 31 2020, N7, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/63218/supplement/N7.

Labour Party

September 13 2015 – June 27 2016

The office of Shadow First Secretary of State was left vacant from June 27 2016 until June 14 2017.

Emily Anne Thornberry

Date of birth/date of death: b. July 27 1960.

Honors:

Created a Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, December 31 2024.²

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Emily Thornberry.” Accessed April 28, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/1536/career.

[2] “No. 64607,” The London Gazette, Supplement, December 31 2024, N8, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/64607/supplement/N8.

Labour Party

June 14 2017 – April 5 2020

Angela Rayner

Date of birth/date of death: b. March 28 1980.

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Angela Rayner.” Accessed April 28, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/4356/career.

Labour Party

April 9 2020 – September 4 2023

List of Shadow Deputy Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom (2024 – present)

Name

Political Party

Dates Office Held

Angela Rayner

Date of birth/date of death: b. March 28 1980.

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Angela Rayner.” Accessed April 28, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/4356/career.

Labour Party

September 4 2023 – July 5 2024

Sir Oliver James Dowden

Date of birth/date of death: b. August 1 1978.

Honors:

Created a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, September 22 2015.² Created a Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, July 4 2024.³

References:

[1] UK Parliament. “Parliamentary career for Sir Oliver Dowden.” Accessed April 28, 2026. https://members.parliament.uk/member/4441/career.

[2] “No. 61359,” The London Gazette, Supplement, September 22 2015, 17615, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/61359/supplement/17615.

[3] “No. 64480,” The London Gazette, Supplement, August 7 2024, 15222, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/64480/supplement/15222.

Conservative Party

July 8 2024 – November 5 2024

The office of Shadow Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom has been left vacant since November 5 2024.

Heads of government of the United Kingdom

Kingdom of England

Chief Minister of the Kingdom of England

Sidney Godolphin, 1st Baron Godolphin

Date of birth/date of death: b. June 15 1645; d. September 15 1712.

Tory Party

1684 – 1685

Sidney Godolphin, 1st Baron Godolphin

Date of birth/date of death: b. June 15 1645; d. September 15 1712.

Tory Party

1690 – 1697

Sidney Godolphin, 1st Baron Godolphin

Date of birth/date of death: b. June 15 1645; d. September 15 1712.

Tory Party

1700 – 1701

Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin

Date of birth/date of death: b. June 15 1645; d. September 15 1712.

Tory Party

1702 – 1707

General John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough

Date of birth/date of death: b. May 26 1650; d. June 16 1722.

Tory Party

1702 – 1707

United Kingdom of Great Britain

Chief Minister of the Kingdom of Great Britain

Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin

Date of birth/date of death: b. June 15 1645; d. September 15 1712.

Tory Party

1707 – 1710

General John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough

Date of birth/date of death: b. May 26 1650; d. June 16 1722.

Tory Party

1707 – 1710

Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Great Britain

Sir Robert Walpole

Date of birth/date of death: b. August 26 1676; d. March 18 1745.

Monarchs: George I (1721 – 1727); George II (1727 – 1742).

Titles of nobility: Baron Walpole of Houghton in the Peerage of Great Britain (1742 – 1745); Viscount Walpole in the Peerage of Great Britain (1742 – 1745); Earl of Orford (1742 – 1745).

Other prominent offices: Member of the Parliament of England (1701 – 1707); Member of the Parliament of Great Britain (1707 – 1712; 1713 – 1742); Secretary at War (1708 – 1710); Treasurer of the Navy (1710 – 1711); Paymaster of the Forces (1714 – 1715; 1720 – 1721); First Lord of the Treasury (1715 – 1717; 1721 – 1742); Chancellor of the Exchequer (1715 – 1717; 1721 – 1742); Leader of the House of Commons (1721 – 1742).

Whig Party

1721 – 1742

Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington

Date of birth/date of death: b. 1673; d. July 2 1743.

Monarch: George II.

Titles of nobility: Baron Wilmington in the Peerage of Great Britain (1728 – 1743); Earl of Wilmington in the Peerage of Great Britain (1730 – 1743).

Other prominent offices: Member of Parliament (1698 – 1710; 1713 – 1728); Speaker of the House of Commons (1715 – 1727); Paymaster of the Forces (1722 – 1730); Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal (1730); Lord President of the Council (1730 – 1742); First Lord of the Treasury (1742 – 1743).

Whig Party

1742 – 1743

Henry Pelham

Date of birth/date of death: b. September 25 1694; d. March 6 1754.

Monarch: George II.

Other prominent offices: Member of Parliament (1717 – 1754); Secretary at War (1724 – 1730); Paymaster of the Forces (1730 – 1743); First Lord of the Treasury (1743 – 1754); Chancellor of the Exchequer (1743 – 1754); Leader of the House of Commons (1743 – 1754).

Whig Party

1743 – 1754

Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle upon Tyne, 1st Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne

Date of birth/date of death: b. July 21 1693; d. November 17 1768.

Monarch: George II.

Titles of nobility: Baron Pelham of Laughton in the Peerage of England (1712 – 1768); Earl of Clare in the Peerage of Great Britain (1714 – 1768); Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the Peerage of Great Britain (1715 – 1768); Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne in the Peerage of Great Britain (1756 – 1768); Baron Pelham of Stanmer in the Peerage of Great Britain (1762 – 1768).

Other prominent offices: Prime Minister of Great Britain (1757 – 1762); Secretary of State for the Southern Department (1724 – 1748); Secretary of State for the Northern Department (1748 – 1754); Leader of the House of Lords (1748 – 1756; 1757 – 1762); Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal (1765 – 1766).

Whig Party

1754 – 1756

William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire

Date of birth/date of death: b. May 8 1720; d. October 2 1764.

Monarch: George II.

Titles of nobility: Baron Cavendish of Hardwick (by writ of acceleration) in the Peerage of England (1751 – 1764); Duke of Devonshire in the Peerage of England (1755 – 1764).

Other prominent offices: Member of the Parliament of Great Britain (1741 – 1751); Lord High Treasurer of Ireland (1754 – 1764); Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1755 – 1757); Leader of the House of Lords (1756 – 1757).

Whig Party

1756 – 1757

Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle upon Tyne, 1st Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne

Date of birth/date of death: b. July 21 1693; d. November 17 1768.

Monarchs: George II (1757 – 1760); George III (1760 – 1762).

Other prominent offices: Prime Minister of Great Britain (1754 – 1756); Secretary of State for the Southern Department (1724 – 1748); Secretary of State for the Northern Department (1748 – 1754); Leader of the House of Lords (1748 – 1756; 1757 – 1762); Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal (1765 – 1766).

Whig Party

1757 – 1762

John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute

Date of birth/date of death: b. July 21 1693; d. November 17 1768.

Monarch: George III.

Titles of nobility: Earl of Bute in the Peerage of Scotland (1723 – 1792).

Other prominent offices: Secretary of State for the Northern Department (1761 – 1762); First Lord of the Treasury (1762 – 1763).

Tory Party

1762 – 1763

George Grenville

Date of birth/date of death: b. October 14 1712; d. November 13 1770.

Monarch: George III.

Other prominent offices: Member of Parliament (1741 – 1770); Treasurer of the Navy (1756; 1756 – 1762); Leader of the House of Commons (1761 – 1762); Secretary of State for the Northern Department (1762); First Lord of the Admiralty (1762 – 1763); Chancellor of the Exchequer (1763 – 1765); Leader of the House of Commons (1763 – 1765).

Whig Party

1763 – 1765

Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham

Date of birth/date of death: b. May 13 1730; d. July 1 1782.

Monarch: George III.

Titles of nobility: Marquess of Rockingham in the Peerage of Great Britain (1750 – 1782); Earl Malton in the Peerage of Ireland (1750 – 1782).

Other prominent offices: Prime Minister of Great Britain (1782); Leader of the House of Lords (1765 – 1766).

Whig Party

1765 – 1766

William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham

Date of birth/date of death: b. November 15 1708; d. May 11 1778.

Monarch: George III.

Titles of nobility: Earl of Chatham in the Peerage of Great Britain (1766 – 1778).

Other prominent offices: Member of the Parliament of Great Britain (1735 – 1766); Paymaster of the Forces (1746 – 1755); Secretary of State for the Southern Department (1756 – 1757, 1757 – 1761); Leader of the House of Commons (1756 – 1757, 1757 – 1761); Lord Privy Seal (1766 – 1768).

Whig Party

1766 – 1768

Augustus Henry FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton

Date of birth/date of death: b. September 28 1735; d. March 14 1811.

Monarch: George III.

Titles of nobility: Duke of Grafton in the Peerage of England (1757 – 1811).

Other prominent offices: Member of the Parliament of Great Britain (1756 – 1757); Secretary of State for the Northern Department (1765 – 1766); First Lord of the Treasury (1766 – 1770); Leader of the House of Lords (1766 – 1770); Chancellor of the University of Cambridge (1768 – 1811); Lord Privy Seal (1771 – 1775, 1782 – 1783).

Whig Party

1768 – 1770

Frederick North, Lord North

Date of birth/date of death: b. April 13 1732; d. August 5 1792.

Monarch: George III.

Titles of nobility: Earl of Guilford in the Peerage of Great Britain (1790 – 1792).

Other prominent offices: Member of the Parliament of Great Britain (1754 – 1790); Paymaster of the Forces (1766 – 1767); Chancellor of the Exchequer (1767 – 1782); Leader of the House of Commons (1767 – 1782); First Lord of the Treasury (1770 – 1782); Chancellor of the University of Oxford (1772 – 1792); Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports (1778 – 1792); Home Secretary (1783); Leader of the House of Commons (1783).

Tory Party

1770 – 1782

Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham

Date of birth/date of death: b. May 13 1730; d. July 1 1782.

Monarch: George III.

Titles of nobility: Marquess of Rockingham in the Peerage of Great Britain (1750 – 1782); Earl Malton in the Peerage of Ireland (1750 – 1782).

Other prominent offices: Prime Minister of Great Britain (1765 – 1766); Leader of the House of Lords (1765 – 1766).

Whig Party

1782

William Petty Fitzmaurice, 2nd Earl of Shelburne

Date of birth/date of death: b. May 2 1737; d. May 7 1805.

Monarch: George III.

Titles of nobility: Earl of Shelburne in the Peerage of Ireland (1761 – 1805); Marquess of Lansdowne in the Peerage of Great Britain (1784 – 1805).

Other prominent offices: Member of the Parliament of Great Britain (1760 – 1761); Member of the Parliament of Ireland (1761 – 1762); First Lord of Trade (1763); Secretary of State for the Southern Department (1766 – 1768); Home Secretary (1782); Leader of the House of Lords (1782 – 1783).

Whig Party

1782 – 1783

William Henry Cavendish Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland

Date of birth/date of death: b. April 14 1738; d. October 30 1809.

Monarch: George III.

Titles of nobility: Duke of Portland in the Peerage of Great Britain (1762 – 1809).

Other prominent offices: Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1807 – 1809); Member of the Parliament of Great Britain (1761 – 1762); Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1782); Leader of the House of Lords (1783); Chancellor of the University of Oxford (1792 – 1809); Home Secretary (1794 – 1801); Lord President of the Council (1801 – 1805).

Whig Party

1783

William Pitt the Younger

Date of birth/date of death: b. May 28 1759; d. January 23 1806.

Monarch: George III.

Other prominent offices: Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1801, 1804 – 1806); Member of the Parliament of Great Britain (1781 – 1800); Chancellor of the Exchequer (1782 – 1783, 1783 – 1801, 1804 – 1806); Leader of the House of Commons (1783 – 1801, 1804 – 1806); Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports (1792 – 1806); Member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (1801 – 1806).

Tory Party

1783 – 1800

First Secretary of State

George Gideon Oliver Osborne

Date of birth/date of death: b. May 23 1971.

Conservative Party

2015 – 2016

Damian Howard Green

Date of birth/date of death: b. January 17 1956.

Conservative Party

2017

Heads of state of the United Kingdom

Kingdom of England

Monarch of the Kingdom of England

Kingdom of Great Britain

Monarch of the Kingdom of Great Britain

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Heads of State of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

History

List of Monarchs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland1

Notes and References

Heads of Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

History

List of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

Deputy Heads of Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

List of Deputy Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Leaders of the Opposition of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

History

Leaders of the Opposition of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

List of Leaders of His Majesty’s Most Loyal Opposition

Notes and References

Deputy Leaders of the Opposition of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

List of Deputy Leaders of the Opposition (1920 – 2005)

List of Senior Members of the Shadow Cabinet (2005 – 2010)

List of Shadow Deputy Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom (2010 – 2015)

List of Shadow First Secretaries of State (2015 – 2023)

List of Shadow Deputy Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom (2024 – present)

Heads of government of the United Kingdom

Kingdom of England

Chief Minister of the Kingdom of England

United Kingdom of Great Britain

Chief Minister of the Kingdom of Great Britain

Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Great Britain

First Secretary of State

List of Monarchs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland¹