David Lloyd George

David Lloyd George (1863-1945) is probably the greatest international statesman to come from Wales. He had a great influence on Welsh, British and European politics. Lloyd George was a Liberal member of Parliament for fifty years and served in Government as President of the Board of Trade (1905-08), Chancellor of the Exchequer (1908-15), Minister for Munitions (1915-16) and War Minister (1916). In December 1916 at the height of the First World War he became Prime Minister and held that office until 1922. For the rest of his parliamentary career he remained a backbencher. In 1945 he received the title Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, two months before his death.

This exhibition was originally prepared in March 1995 to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of his death; it focuses on both public and private aspects of his life. The numerous and large collections of materials relating to David Lloyd George at the National Library of Wales were used in its preparation, especially the Lloyd George collection (papers from the Lloyd George family home in North Wales), the A J Sylvester collection (papers of David Lloyd George's personal secretary and assistant for nearly thirty years) and the collection of Lady Olwen Carey Evans (David Lloyd George's daughter). The original exhibition featured a large number of original manuscripts from those collection, printed books (including a large selection of international biographies and historical and political studies of his career), and film and sound recordings.

Learn more about David Lloyd George in the Dictionary of Welsh Biography.