Timeline of prime ministers of Great Britain and the United Kingdom facts for kids
A graph that shows the timeline of prime ministers of Great Britain and the United Kingdom from 1721 until today. The first person to be called a prime minister in the modern sense was Robert Walpole.
From 1801 to 1922, British prime ministers were also in charge of all of Ireland.
Contents
Prime Ministers of Great Britain (1721-1801)
This section shows the leaders of Great Britain before the United Kingdom was formed.
Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801-1922)
This timeline shows the prime ministers when the United Kingdom included all of Ireland.
Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (1922-Present)
This timeline shows the prime ministers from 1922, when Northern Ireland became a separate part of the UK.
Combined Timeline of All Prime Ministers
This timeline shows all the prime ministers from 1721 to the present day in one chart.
Prime Ministers' Political Journeys
This section looks at the political lives of prime ministers since 1846. The first prime minister, Robert Walpole, served in the early 1700s.
In the UK, a prime minister usually spends many years in the House of Commons before becoming the leader. They often continue to serve in Parliament afterwards.
Since the Marquess of Salisbury in 1895, all prime ministers have served in the House of Commons before taking office. An exception was Sir Alec Douglas-Home, who was in the House of Lords before becoming prime minister. He later joined the Commons.
Interestingly, David Cameron served as Foreign Secretary from November 2023 to July 2024 while being a member of the House of Lords.
Understanding the Timeline Colors
- A dark colored bar shows the time a person spent as prime minister.
- A light color shows time spent in Parliament before or after being prime minister.
- A grey bar means the person was not in Parliament at that time.
Interesting Facts About Prime Ministers Since 1800
- Served two separate times: Russell, Palmerston, Disraeli, MacDonald, Churchill, Wilson.
- Served three separate times: Derby, Salisbury, Baldwin.
- Served four separate times: Gladstone.
- Changed political parties: Palmerston, Derby, Gladstone, Churchill (twice).
- Died while in office: Canning, Palmerston, Perceval (who was assassinated).
- Died soon after leaving office: Portland, Campbell-Bannerman, Law, Chamberlain.
- Left Parliament after being prime minister: Russell, Baldwin, Blair.
- Lived more than 20 years after leaving the House of Commons: Macmillan, Douglas-Home, Thatcher, Major.
- Less than 20 years in Parliament before becoming prime minister: Baldwin, Chamberlain, Wilson, Major, Blair, Cameron, May, Johnson, Truss, Sunak, Starmer.
- More than 20 years in Parliament after being prime minister: Rosebery, Balfour, Lloyd George, Heath.
- Became prime minister after a break in their parliamentary career: MacDonald, Churchill, Macmillan (twice), Douglas-Home, Johnson.
- Served as prime minister under two monarchs: Walpole, Newcastle, Liverpool, Wellington, Melbourne, Peel, Salisbury, Asquith, Churchill, Truss.
- Served as prime minister under three monarchs: Baldwin.
- Served as prime minister for less than two months: Truss.
- Over 65 years old when first appointed: Palmerston, Campbell-Bannerman, Aberdeen, Chamberlain, Grey, Churchill.
- Under 45 years old when first appointed: Goderich, Blair, Addington, Cameron, Sunak, Liverpool.
Timeline of Political Careers
