Britain’s first proper Prime Minister, Robert Walpole, formerly held the post of First Lord of the Treasury. He became George I Chief Minister because the German born King had little interest in British affairs, and since he spoke no English, he was unable to follow Cabinet discussions.
Unfortunately, Walpole spoke no German, either, so the two were forced to converse in Latin.
Prior to Walpole’s appointment, British monarchs had themselves been ‘prime’ ministers, selecting and directing the government as they saw fit.
However, since Walpole, the influence of the monarchs has steadily waned, and from the time of Queen Victoria the Prime Minister has normally been the leader of the largest party in the House of Commons.
The title of Britain’s top political office was originally a term of abuse, and was used to describe the chief minister of a despotic monarch.
It also carried overtones that the politician was merely a lackey of the Crown. Robert Walpole, George Grenville and Lord North all hotly denied that they were prime ministers.
The title was finally given official recognition in 1937, when the Salaries of the Ministers of the Crown Act made provision for paying ‘the First Lord of the Treasury and Prime Minister’ – the two offices that since the 18th century, have usually been held by the Prime Minister.
Nevertheless, in spite of this recognition, the brass plate outside the PMs front door still bears the title of First Lord of the Treasury.
| Start of Office | End of Office | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | – | Rishi Sunak |
| 2022 | 2022 | Liz Truss |
| 2019 | 2022 | Boris Johnson |
| 2016 | 2019 | Theresa May |
| 2010 | 2016 | David Cameron |
| 2007 | 2010 | Gordon Brown |
| 1997 | 2007 | Tony Blair |
| 1990 | 1997 | Sir John Major |
| 1979 | 1990 | Margaret Thatcher |
| 1976 | 1979 | James Callaghan |
| 1974 | 1976 | Harold Wilson |
| 1970 | 1974 | Sir Edward Heath |
| 1964 | 1970 | Harold Wilson |
| 1963 | 1964 | Sir Alec Douglas-Home |
| 1957 | 1963 | Harold Macmillan |
| 1955 | 1957 | Sir Anthony Eden |
| 1951 | 1955 | Sir Winston Churchill |
| 1945 | 1951 | Clement Attlee |
| 1940 | 1945 | Sir Winston Churchill |
| 1937 | 1940 | Neville Chamberlain |
| 1935 | 1937 | Stanley Baldwin |
| 1929 | 1935 | James Ramsay MacDonald |
| 1924 | 1929 | Stanley Baldwin |
| 1924 | 1924 | James Ramsay MacDonald |
| 1923 | 1924 | Stanley Baldwin |
| 1922 | 1923 | Andrew Bonar Law |
| 1916 | 1922 | David Lloyd George |
| 1908 | 1916 | Herbert Henry Asquith |
| 1905 | 1908 | Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman |
| 1902 | 1905 | Arthur James Balfour |
| 1895 | 1902 | Robert Gascoyne-Cecil |
| 1894 | 1895 | Archibald Primrose |
| 1892 | 1894 | William Ewart Gladstone |
| 1886 | 1892 | Robert Gascoyne-Cecil |
| 1886 | 1886 | William Ewart Gladstone |
| 1885 | 1886 | Robert Gascoyne-Cecil |
| 1880 | 1885 | William Ewart Gladstone |
| 1874 | 1880 | Benjamin Disraeli |
| 1868 | 1874 | William Ewart Gladstone |
| 1868 | 1868 | Benjamin Disraeli |
| 1866 | 1868 | Edward Smith Stanley |
| 1865 | 1866 | Lord John Russell |
| 1859 | 1865 | Henry John Temple |
| 1858 | 1859 | Edward Smith Stanley |
| 1855 | 1858 | Henry John Temple |
| 1852 | 1855 | George Hamilton Gordon |
| 1852 | 1852 | Edward Smith Stanley |
| 1846 | 1852 | Lord John Russell |
| 1841 | 1846 | Sir Robert Peel |
| 1835 | 1841 | William Lamb |
| 1834 | 1835 | Sir Robert Peel |
| 1834 | 1834 | Arthur Wellesley |
| 1834 | 1834 | William Lamb |
| 1830 | 1834 | Charles Grey |
| 1828 | 1830 | Arthur Wellesley |
| 1827 | 1828 | Frederick Robinson |
| 1827 | 1827 | George Canning |
| 1812 | 1827 | Robert Banks Jenkinson |
| 1809 | 1812 | Spencer Perceval |
| 1807 | 1809 | William Bentinck |
| 1806 | 1807 | William Wyndham Grenville |
| 1804 | 1806 | William Pitt (the Younger) |
| 1801 | 1804 | Henry Addington |
| 1783 | 1801 | William Pitt (the Younger) |
| 1783 | 1783 | William Bentinck |
| 1782 | 1783 | William Petty |
| 1770 | 1782 | Lord Frederick North |
| 1768 | 1770 | Augustus Henry Fitzroy |
| 1766 | 1768 | William Pitt (The Elder) |
| 1765 | 1766 | Charles Watson-Wentworth |
| 1763 | 1765 | George Grenville |
| 1762 | 1763 | John Stuart |
| 1757 | 1762 | Thomas Pelham-Holles |
| 1756 | 1757 | William Cavendish |
| 1754 | 1756 | Thomas Pelham-Holles |
| 1743 | 1754 | Henry Pelham |
| 1742 | 1743 | Spencer Compton |
| 1721 | 1742 | Sir Robert Walpole |
The official residence of the British Prime Ministers – Number 10 Downing Street, London – was built in about 1680 by Sir George Downing, a diplomat, spy and traitor, whom the diarist, Samuel Pepys called “a perfidious rogue”.
After the English Civil War (1642-1649), Downing supported Oliver Cromwell, but after the Restoration of the Monarchy (1660), he entered the service of Charles II and betrayed a number of his former associates to execution.
In 1738, George II offered Number 10 to Robert Walpole, as a gift. However, Walpole declined it as a personal residence but accepted it as an official home of the premiership.
Britain’s youngest Prime Minister was William Pitt the Younger, who took office at the age of 24.
The oldest was William Gladstone, who started his fourth term of office at 83.
The longest ruling was Robert Walpole, who held office without a break for nearly 21 years, from 3rd April 1721 to 2nd February 1742.
The second shortest ruling Prime Minister was George Canning who became Prime Minister on 10th April 1827, and died of pneumonia just under four months later, on 8th August.
The shortest term of Prime Minister belongs to Liz Truss at just 50 days.
In September 2022, Truss became the Leader of the Conservative Party after defeating Rishi Sunak in a leadership contest. Just two days before Elizabeth II’s death, Truss was appointed prime minister by Elizabeth II and oversaw her state funeral.
Truss announced her intention to resign as Conservative party leader and Prime Minister on 20 October 2022, after only 45 days in office. Sunak was chosen as her successor as leader of the party on 24 October.
Charles III accepted Truss’s resignation as Prime Minister on 25 October and appointed Sunak as her successor.
Link/cite this page
If you use any of the content on this page in your own work, please use the code below to cite this page as the source of the content.
Link will appear as Hanson, Marilee. "List of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom (1721 – 2022)" https://englishhistory.net/list-of-prime-ministers/, January 16, 2022