Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable The Earl of Rosebery KG KT PC FRS FBA


Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
In office 5 March 1894 – 22 June 1895
Monarch	Victoria
Preceded by	William Ewart Gladstone
Succeeded by	The Marquess of Salisbury
Leader of the Opposition
In office 22 June 1895 – 6 October 1896
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	The Marquess of Salisbury
Preceded by	The Marquess of Salisbury
Succeeded by	Sir William Harcourt
Lord President of the Council
In office 10 March 1894 – 21 June 1895
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	The Earl of Kimberley
Succeeded by	The Duke of Devonshire
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
In office 18 August 1892 – 10 March 1894
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	William Ewart Gladstone
Preceded by	The Marquess of Salisbury
Succeeded by	The Earl of Kimberley
In office 6 February 1886 – 3 August 1886
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	William Ewart Gladstone
Preceded by	The Marquess of Salisbury
Succeeded by	The Earl of Iddesleigh
Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal
In office 5 March 1885 – 9 June 1885
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	William Ewart Gladstone
Preceded by	The Lord Carlingford
Succeeded by	The Earl of Harrowby
First Commissioner of Works
In office 13 February 1885 – 9 June 1885
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	William Ewart Gladstone
Preceded by	George Shaw-Lefevre
Succeeded by	David Plunket
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department
In office August 1881 – June 1883
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	William Ewart Gladstone
Preceded by	Leonard Courtney
Succeeded by	J. T. Hibbert
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
In office 7 May 1868 – 21 May 1929 Hereditary peerage
Preceded by	The 4th Earl of Rosebery
Succeeded by	The 6th Earl of Rosebery

Personal details
Born	Archibald Philip Primrose (1847-05-07)7 May 1847 Mayfair, Middlesex, England
Died	21 May 1929(1929-05-21) (aged 82) Epsom, Surrey, England
Resting place	Dalmeny Parish Church, Edinburgh, Scotland
Political party	Liberal
Spouse	Hannah de Rothschild (m. 1878; died 1890)
Children	4, including Sybil, Harry, and Neil
Parents	Archibald Primrose, Lord Dalmeny Wilhelmina Powlett, Duchess of Cleveland
Alma mater	Christ Church, Oxford
Signature

Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery (May 7, 1847 – May 21, 1929) was an important British politician. He belonged to the Liberal Party. He is best known for serving as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1894 to 1895. Before becoming Prime Minister, he was also known as Archibald Primrose (from 1847 to 1851) and Lord Dalmeny (from 1851 to 1868).

He went to school at Eton and then studied at Oxford. In 1868, he inherited his grandfather's title, becoming the Earl of Rosebery.

Rosebery's Political Journey
Rosebery's Many Homes
Images for kids
See also

Rosebery's Political Journey

Archibald Rosebery became very active in politics. He joined the Liberal Party. He played a key role in Gladstone's campaign in Midlothian. This campaign helped the Liberals win power again in 1880.

Early Government Roles

In the Liberal government that followed, Rosebery held several important jobs. He was an Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department. This meant he helped manage internal affairs for the country. In March 1885, he joined the Cabinet as Lord Privy Seal. The Cabinet is a group of senior ministers who advise the Prime Minister.

Becoming Foreign Secretary

Rosebery became a leader of a group within the Liberal Party called the Liberal Imperialists. This group believed in expanding the British Empire. He served as Foreign Secretary twice. This role meant he was in charge of Britain's relationships with other countries. He held this position in Gladstone's third government (1886) and fourth government (1892–1894).

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

When William Gladstone retired in 1894, Rosebery became the new Prime Minister. This was a big achievement. However, his time as Prime Minister was quite difficult. He faced disagreements within his own Liberal Party. For example, his plans to make the navy stronger were not fully supported.

Also, the House of Lords often blocked the laws his government tried to pass. The House of Lords was mostly controlled by the Conservative Party at that time. Because of these challenges, Rosebery resigned in 1895. A Conservative government, led by Lord Salisbury, then took over.

After Being Prime Minister

Rosebery resigned as the leader of the Liberal Party in 1896. Over time, he moved further away from the main ideas of the party. He supported the Boer War, which was a conflict in South Africa. He also did not support Irish Home Rule. This was a movement for Ireland to have its own government. Because of these views, he did not join the Liberal government that came to power in 1905.

In his later years, Rosebery spent time writing. He wrote biographies (life stories) of famous figures. These included Lord Chatham, Pitt the Younger, Napoleon, and Lord Randolph Churchill. He was also well-known for owning champion racehorses.

Rosebery's Many Homes

Archibald Rosebery was a very rich man. He owned many grand houses, even for someone from a wealthy family before the First World War. He had 12 large homes.

Dalmeny House was the main home of the Earls of Rosebery. It was a place for Lord and Lady Rosebery to host political gatherings.

Mentmore Towers

Villa Delahente, now known as Villa Rosebery

He gained some properties through his marriage:

Mentmore Towers in Buckinghamshire. This was a huge stately home built in a neo-Renaissance style. It was sold in the 1970s.
Number 40, Piccadilly, in London.

With his own money, he bought several other places:

A hunting lodge at Carrington in Midlothian, Scotland.
A Georgian-style villa at Postwick in Norfolk, England.
In 1897, he bought Villa Delahente in Posillipo, Italy. This villa overlooks the Bay of Naples. Today, it is an official home for the President of Italy and is still called Villa Rosebery.
38 Berkeley Square, London.
The Durdans, in Epsom, England. This is where he passed away in 1929.

As the Earl of Rosebery, he was the owner of:

Dalmeny House (pictured) on the banks of the Firth of Forth in Scotland.
Barnbougle Castle, which was on the same estate as Dalmeny House. Rosebery, who had trouble sleeping, used this castle for privacy.

He also rented some homes:

A home in Randolph Crescent, Edinburgh, during World War I.
Lansdowne House, in London, which he rented from the Marquess of Lansdowne.

Images for kids

Rosebery as a cartoon by Spy for Vanity Fair, 1901.
Hannah de Rothschild, a portrait by Frederic Leighton, 1st Baron Leighton.
Durdans, in Epsom, Surrey, England, where Rosebery died in 1929. This photo was taken in 2011.