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List of prime ministers of the United Kingdom facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the leader of the U.K. government. They are the main advisor to the monarch and in charge of the British Cabinet, which is a team of senior government ministers.

The job of prime minister wasn't created on a single day. Instead, it developed slowly over many years. The name "prime minister" started being used for Sir Robert Walpole in the 1730s, but it was just a nickname then. It didn't become an official title until 1905.

Most historians agree that Robert Walpole was the first prime minister. He led the government for over 20 years, starting in 1721. This makes him the longest-serving prime minister ever.

The first prime minister to officially use the title in a document was Benjamin Disraeli, who signed a treaty in 1878 as "Prime Minister of Her Britannic Majesty".

The current prime minister is Keir Starmer, who took office on 5 July 2024.

How the Job of Prime Minister Began

Before the countries of England and Scotland joined to form the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707, the English government's money was often managed by the Lord High Treasurer. This person was one of the most powerful people in the government.

After 1714, when King George I came to the throne, this system changed. Instead of one person, a team called the Lords of the Treasury managed the country's finances. The leader of this team was called the First Lord of the Treasury.

From 1721, the person who was the First Lord of the Treasury was usually also the most powerful person in government. This is why Robert Walpole, who was First Lord from 1721 to 1742, is seen as the first prime minister. The prime minister today still holds the title of First Lord of the Treasury as part of the job.

List of Prime Ministers Since 1721

List of prime ministers of Great Britain or the United Kingdom since 1721
Portrait Prime minister
(lifespan)
Term of office Mandate Party Government Monarch
Reign
Start End Duration
Robert Walpole Robert Walpole
(1676–1745)
3 April
1721
11 February
1742
20 years, 315 days 1722 Whig Walpole–​Townshend George I
George I of Great Britain
r. 1714 – 1727
1727 George II
George II of Great Britain
r. 1727 – 1760
1734 Walpole
1741
Spencer Compton Spencer Compton
1st Earl of Wilmington
16 February
1742
2 July
1743
1 year, 137 days Carteret
Henry Pelham Henry Pelham
(1694–1754)
27 August
1743
6 March
1754
10 years, 192 days Broad Bottom I
1747 Broad Bottom II
Thomas Pelham-Holles Thomas Pelham-Holles
1st Duke of Newcastle
16 March
1754
11 November
1756
2 years, 241 days 1754 Newcastle I
William Cavendish William Cavendish
16 November
1756
29 June
1757
226 days Pitt–​Devonshire
1757 Caretaker
Thomas Pelham-Holles Thomas Pelham-Holles
1st Duke of Newcastle
29 June
1757
26 May
1762
4 years, 332 days 1761 Pitt–​Newcastle
Bute–​Newcastle
(ToryWhig)
George III
George III of Great Britain
r. 1760 – 1820
John Stuart John Stuart
26 May
1762
8 April
1763
318 days Tory Bute
George Grenville George Grenville
(1712–1770)
16 April
1763
10 July
1765
2 years, 86 days Whig
(Grenvillite)
Grenville
(mainly Whig)
Charles Watson-Wentworth Charles Watson-Wentworth
2nd Marquess of Rockingham
13 July
1765
30 July
1766
1 year, 18 days Whig
(Rockinghamite)
Rockingham I
William Pitt the Elder William Pitt the Elder
  • 1st Earl of Chatham
  • (1708–1778)
30 July
1766
14 October
1768
2 years, 77 days 1768 Whig Chatham
Augustus FitzRoy Augustus FitzRoy
3rd Duke of Grafton
14 October
1768
28 January
1770
1 year, 107 days Grafton
Frederick North, Lord North Frederick North
28 January
1770
27 March
1782
12 years, 59 days 1774 Tory North
1780
Charles Watson-Wentworth Charles Watson-Wentworth
2nd Marquess of Rockingham
27 March
1782
1 July
1782
97 days Whig
(Rockinghamite)
Rockingham II
William Petty William Petty
2nd Earl of Shelburne
4 July
1782
26 March
1783
266 days Whig Shelburne
William Cavendish-Bentinck William Cavendish-Bentinck
3rd Duke of Portland
2 April
1783
18 December
1783
261 days Whig Fox–North
William Pitt the Younger William Pitt the Younger
(1759–1806)
19 December
1783
14 March
1801
17 years, 86 days 1784 Tory Pitt I
1790
1796
Henry Addington Henry Addington
(1757–1844)
17 March
1801
10 May
1804
3 years, 55 days 1801 Tory Addington
1802
William Pitt the Younger William Pitt the Younger
(1759–1806)
10 May
1804
23 January
1806
1 year, 259 days Tory Pitt II
William Grenville William Grenville
1st Baron Grenville
11 February
1806
25 March
1807
1 year, 43 days 1806 Whig All the Talents
(WhigTory)
William Cavendish-Bentinck William Cavendish-Bentinck
3rd Duke of Portland
31 March
1807
4 October
1809
2 years, 188 days 1807 Tory Portland II
Spencer Perceval Spencer Perceval
(1762–1812)
4 October
1809
11 May
1812
(Killed while in office)
2 years, 221 days Perceval
Robert Jenkinson Robert Jenkinson
2nd Earl of Liverpool
8 June
1812
9 April
1827
14 years, 306 days 1812 Liverpool
1818 George IV
George IV of Great Britain
r. 1820 – 1830
1820
1826
George Canning George Canning
(1770–1827)
12 April
1827
8 August
1827
119 days Tory
(Canningite)
Canning
(Canningite–Whig)
F. J. Robinson Frederick John Robinson
1st Viscount Goderich
31 August
1827
8 January
1828
131 days Tory
(Canningite)
Goderich
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley
22 January
1828
16 November
1830
2 years, 299 days Tory Wellington–​Peel
(1830) William IV
William IV of Great Britain
r. 1830 – 1837
Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey Charles Grey
2nd Earl Grey
22 November
1830
9 July
1834
3 years, 230 days 1831 Whig Grey
1832
William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne William Lamb
2nd Viscount Melbourne
16 July
1834
14 November
1834
122 days Melbourne I
photograph Arthur Wellesley
17 November
1834
9 December
1834
23 days (—) Tory Wellington Caretaker
Robert Peel Robert Peel
(1788–1850)
10 December
1834
8 April
1835
120 days (—) Conservative Peel I
William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne William Lamb
2nd Viscount Melbourne
18 April
1835
30 August
1841
6 years, 135 days 1835 Whig Melbourne II
1837 Victoria
Queen Victoria
r. 1837 – 1901
Robert Peel Robert Peel
(1788–1850)
30 August
1841
29 June
1846
4 years, 304 days 1841 Conservative Peel II
photograph John Russell
(1792–1878)
30 June
1846
21 February
1852
5 years, 237 days (1847) Whig Russell I
painting Edward Smith-Stanley
14th Earl of Derby
23 February
1852
17 December
1852
299 days 1852 Conservative Who? Who?
engraving George Hamilton-Gordon
19 December
1852
30 January
1855
2 years, 43 days (—) Peelite Aberdeen
(Peelite–Whig​others)
photograph Henry John Temple
3rd Viscount Palmerston
6 February
1855
19 February
1858
3 years, 14 days 1857 Whig Palmerston I
engraving Edward Smith-Stanley
14th Earl of Derby
20 February
1858
11 June
1859
1 year, 112 days (—) Conservative Derby–​Disraeli II
photograph Henry John Temple
3rd Viscount Palmerston
12 June
1859
18 October
1865
6 years, 129 days 1859 Liberal Palmerston II
1865
photograph John Russell
1st Earl Russell
29 October
1865
26 June
1866
241 days Russell II
engraving Edward Smith-Stanley
14th Earl of Derby
28 June
1866
25 February
1868
1 year, 243 days (—) Conservative Derby–​Disraeli III
photograph Benjamin Disraeli
27 February
1868
1 December
1868
279 days (—)
photograph William Ewart Gladstone
3 December
1868
17 February
1874
5 years, 77 days 1868 Liberal Gladstone I
photograph Benjamin Disraeli
20 February
1874
21 April
1880
6 years, 62 days 1874 Conservative Disraeli II
photograph William Ewart Gladstone
23 April
1880
9 June
1885
5 years, 48 days 1880 Liberal Gladstone II
photograph Robert Gascoyne-Cecil
3rd Marquess of Salisbury
23 June
1885
28 January
1886
220 days (—) Conservative Salisbury I
photograph William Ewart Gladstone
1 February
1886
20 July
1886
170 days (1885) Liberal Gladstone III
photograph Robert Gascoyne-Cecil
3rd Marquess of Salisbury
25 July
1886
11 August
1892
6 years, 18 days (1886) Conservative Salisbury II
photograph William Ewart Gladstone
15 August
1892
2 March
1894
1 year, 200 days (1892) Liberal Gladstone IV
photograph Archibald Primrose
5 March
1894
22 June
1895
1 year, 110 days (—) Rosebery
photograph Robert Gascoyne-Cecil
3rd Marquess of Salisbury
25 June
1895
11 July
1902
7 years, 17 days 1895 Conservative Salisbury III
(Con​Lib.U)
1900 Salisbury IV
(Con–​Lib.U)
Edward VII
Edward VII
r. 1901 – 1910
photograph Arthur Balfour
(1848–1930)
12 July
1902
4 December
1905
3 years, 146 days Balfour
(Con–​Lib.U)
photograph Henry Campbell-Bannerman
(1836–1908)
5 December
1905
3 April
1908
2 years, 121 days 1906 Liberal Campbell-Bannerman
photograph H. H. Asquith
(1852–1928)
8 April
1908
5 December
1916
8 years, 243 days Asquith I
(Jan.1910) Asquith II George V
George V
r. 1910 – 1936
(Dec.1910) Asquith III
(—) Asquith Coalition
(LibCon​others)
photograph David Lloyd George
(1863–1945)
6 December
1916
19 October
1922
5 years, 318 days (—) Lloyd George War
1918 Lloyd George II
(LibCon)
photograph Bonar Law
(1858–1923)
23 October
1922
20 May
1923
210 days 1922 Conservative Law
photograph Stanley Baldwin
(1867–1947)
22 May
1923
22 January
1924
246 days Conservative Baldwin I
photograph Ramsay MacDonald
(1866–1937)
22 January
1924
4 November
1924
288 days (1923) Labour MacDonald I
photograph Stanley Baldwin
(1867–1947)
4 November
1924
4 June
1929
4 years, 213 days 1924 Conservative Baldwin II
photograph Ramsay MacDonald
(1866–1937)
5 June
1929
7 June
1935
6 years, 3 days (1929) Labour MacDonald II
(—) National Labour National I
(Nat.Lab–Con​others)
1931 National II
photograph Stanley Baldwin
(1867–1947)
7 June
1935
28 May
1937
1 year, 356 days 1935 Conservative National III
Edward VIII
Edward VIII
r.
George VI
George VI
r. 1936 – 1952
photograph Neville Chamberlain
(1869–1940)
28 May
1937
10 May
1940
2 years, 349 days National IV
Chamberlain War
photograph Winston Churchill
(1874–1965)
10 May
1940
26 July
1945
5 years, 78 days Churchill War
Churchill Caretaker
(Con​Nat.Lib)
photograph Clement Attlee
(1883–1967)
26 July
1945
26 October
1951
6 years, 93 days 1945 Labour Attlee I
1950 Attlee II
photograph Winston Churchill
(1874–1965)
26 October
1951
5 April
1955
3 years, 162 days 1951 Conservative Churchill III
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II
r. 1952 – 2022
photograph Anthony Eden
(1897–1977)
6 April
1955
9 January
1957
1 year, 279 days 1955 Eden
photograph Harold Macmillan
(1894–1986)
10 January
1957
18 October
1963
6 years, 282 days Macmillan I
1959 Macmillan II
photograph Alec Douglas-Home
(1903–1995)
18 October
1963
16 October
1964
365 days Conservative Douglas-Home
photograph Harold Wilson
(1916–1995)
16 October
1964
19 June
1970
5 years, 247 days 1964 Labour Wilson I
1966 Wilson II
photograph Edward Heath
(1916–2005)
19 June
1970
4 March
1974
3 years, 259 days 1970 Conservative Heath
photograph Harold Wilson
(1916–1995)
4 March
1974
5 April
1976
2 years, 33 days (Feb.1974) Labour Wilson III
Oct.1974 Wilson IV
photograph James Callaghan
(1912–2005)
5 April
1976
4 May
1979
3 years, 30 days Callaghan
photograph Margaret Thatcher
  • (1925–2013)
  • Premiership
4 May
1979
28 November
1990
11 years, 209 days 1979 Conservative Thatcher I
1983 Thatcher II
1987 Thatcher III
photograph John Major
  • (born 1943)
  • Premiership
28 November
1990
2 May
1997
6 years, 156 days Major I
1992 Major II
photograph Tony Blair
  • (born 1953)
  • Premiership
2 May
1997
27 June
2007
10 years, 57 days 1997 Labour Blair I
2001 Blair II
2005 Blair III
photograph Gordon Brown
  • (born 1951)
  • Premiership
27 June
2007
11 May
2010
2 years, 319 days Brown
photograph David Cameron
  • (born 1966)
  • Premiership
11 May
2010
13 July
2016
6 years, 64 days (2010) Conservative Cameron–Clegg
(ConLib.Dem)
2015 Cameron II
photograph Theresa May
  • (born 1956)
  • Premiership
13 July
2016
24 July
2019
3 years, 12 days May I
(2017) May II
(DUP confidence & supply)
photograph Boris Johnson
  • (born 1964)
  • Premiership
24 July
2019
6 September
2022
3 years, 45 days (—) Johnson I
(DUP confidence & supply)
2019 Johnson II
photograph Liz Truss
  • (born 1975)
  • Premiership
6 September
2022
25 October
2022
50 days Truss
Charles III
King Charles III (July 2023).jpg
r. 2022 – present
photograph Rishi Sunak
  • (born 1980)
  • Premiership
25 October
2022
5 July
2024
1 year, 255 days Sunak
photograph Keir Starmer
  • (born 1962)
  • Premiership
5 July
2024
Incumbent 1 year, 32 days 2024 Labour Starmer

A Question of History: Disputed Prime Ministers

Because the job of prime minister grew over time, historians sometimes disagree on exactly who should be on the list. For example, William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath, and James Waldegrave, 2nd Earl Waldegrave, are sometimes mentioned.

King George II asked both men to form a government at different times. However, neither of them could get enough support from other politicians to actually run the country. Bath gave up after two days, and Waldegrave after four. Because their time in charge was so short and they held no real power, most experts do not count them as official prime ministers.

  •      Whig   (2)
List of disputed prime ministers
Portrait Name
(lifespan)
Term of office Mandate Party Government Monarch
Reign
Start End Duration
William Pulteney William Pulteney 
1st Earl of Bath
10 February
1746
12 February
1746
3 days
Whig Short Lived George II
George II of Great Britain
r. 1727 – 1760
James Waldegrave, 2nd Earl Waldegrave James Waldegrave 
2nd Earl Waldegrave
8 June
1757
12 June
1757
5 days
Waldegrave

Timeline

Keir Starmer Rishi Sunak Liz Truss Boris Johnson Theresa May David Cameron Gordon Brown Tony Blair John Major Margaret Thatcher James Callaghan Edward Heath Harold Wilson Alec Douglas-Home Harold Macmillan Anthony Eden Clement Attlee Winston Churchill Neville Chamberlain Ramsay MacDonald Stanley Baldwin Andrew Bonar Law David Lloyd George Herbert Henry Asquith Henry Campbell-Bannerman Arthur Balfour The Earl of Rosebery The Marquess of Salisbury William Ewart Gladstone Benjamin Disraeli The Viscount Palmerston The Earl of Aberdeen The Earl of Derby John Russell, 1st Earl Russell Robert Peel The Viscount Melbourne The Earl Grey The Duke of Wellington The Viscount Goderich George Canning The Earl of Liverpool Spencer Perceval The Lord Grenville Henry Addington William Pitt the Younger The Duke of Portland The Earl of Shelburne Lord North The Duke of Grafton William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham The Marquess of Rockingham George Grenville John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire The Duke of Newcastle Henry Pelham The Earl of Wilmington Robert Walpole

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Anexo:Primeros ministros del Reino Unido para niños

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