Eadwig (Edwy)
Saxon
955–959
Edgar
Saxon
959–975
Edward the Martyr
Saxon
975–978
Ethelred II the Unready (Aethelred)
Saxon
978–1013
Sweyn Forkbeard
Danish
1013–14
Ethelred II the Unready (restored)
Saxon
1014–16
Edmund II Ironside
Saxon
1016
Canute
Danish
1016–35
Harold I Harefoot
Danish
1035–40
Hardecanute
Danish
1040–42
Edward the Confessor
Saxon
1042–66
Harold II
Saxon
1066
William I the Conqueror
Norman
1066–87
William II
Norman
1087–1100
Henry I
Norman
1100–35
Stephen
Blois
1135–54
Henry II
Plantagenet
1154–89
Richard I
Plantagenet
1189–99
John
Plantagenet
1199–1216
Henry III
Plantagenet
1216–72
Edward I
Plantagenet
1272–1307
Edward II
Plantagenet
1307–27
Edward III
Plantagenet
1327–77
Richard II
Plantagenet
1377–99
Henry IV
Plantagenet: Lancaster
1399–1413
Henry V
Plantagenet: Lancaster
1413–22
Henry VI
Plantagenet: Lancaster
1422–61
Edward IV
Plantagenet: York
1461–70
Henry VI (restored)
Plantagenet: Lancaster
1470–71
Edward IV (restored)
Plantagenet: York
1471–83
Edward V
Plantagenet: York
1483
Richard III
Plantagenet: York
1483–85
Henry VII
Tudor
1483–1509
Henry VIII
Tudor
1509–47
Edward VI
Tudor
1547–53
Mary I
Tudor
1553–58
Elizabeth I
Tudor
1558–1603
Sovereigns of Great Britain and the United Kingdom2, 3
name
dynasty or house
reign
James I (VI of Scotland)2
Stuart
1603–25
Charles I
Stuart
1625–49
Commonwealth (1653–59)
Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector4
1653–58
Richard Cromwell, Lord Protector4
1658–59
Charles II
Stuart
1660–85
James II
Stuart
1685–88
William III and Mary II5
Orange/Stuart
1689–1702
Anne
Stuart
1702–14
George I
Hanover
1714–27
George II
Hanover
1727–60
George III3
Hanover
1760–1820
George IV6
Hanover
1820–30
William IV
Hanover
1830–37
Victoria
Hanover
1837–1901
Edward VII
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
1901–10
George V7
Windsor
1910–36
Edward VIII8
Windsor
1936
George VI
Windsor
1936–52
Elizabeth II
Windsor
1952–
Prime ministers of Great Britain and the United Kingdom
The table provides a chronological list of the prime ministers of Great Britain and the United Kingdom.
Prime ministers of Great Britain and the United Kingdom*
name
party**
term
*The origin of the term prime minister and the question of to whom it should originally be applied have long been issues of scholarly and political debate. Although the term was used as early as the reign of Queen Anne (1702–14), it acquired wider currency during the reign of George II (1727–60), when it began to be used as a term of reproach toward Sir Robert Walpole. The title of prime minister did not become official until 1905, to refer to the leader of a government.
**Before the development of the Conservative and Liberal parties in the mid-19th century, parties in Britain were largely simply alliances of prominent groups or aristocratic families. The designations Whig and Tory tend often to be approximate. In all cases, the party designation is that of the prime minister; he might lead a coalition government, as did David Lloyd George and Winston Churchill (in his first term).
Robert Walpole
(from 1725, Sir Robert Walpole; from 1742, earl of Orford)
Whig
1721–42
Spencer Compton,
earl of Wilmington
Whig
1742–43
Henry Pelham
Whig
1743–54
Thomas Pelham-Holles,
1st duke of Newcastle (1st time)
Whig
1754–56
William Cavendish,
4th duke of Devonshire
Whig
1756–57
Thomas Pelham-Holles,
1st duke of Newcastle (2nd time)
Whig
1757–62
John Stuart,
3rd earl of Bute
1762–63
George Grenville
1763–65
Charles Watson Wentworth,
2nd marquess of Rockingham (1st time)
Whig
1765–66
William Pitt,
1st earl of Chatham
1766–68
Augustus Henry Fitzroy,
3rd duke of Grafton
1768–70
Frederick North,
Lord North (from 1790, 2nd earl of Guilford)
1770–82
Charles Watson Wentworth,
2nd marquess of Rockingham (2nd time)
Whig
1782
William Petty-Fitzmaurice,
2nd earl of Shelburne (from 1784, 1st marquess of Lansdowne)
1782–83
William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck,
3rd duke of Portland (1st time)
Whig
1783
William Pitt, the Younger
(1st time)
Tory
1783–1801
Henry Addington
(from 1805, 1st Viscount Sidmouth)
Tory
1801–04
William Pitt, the Younger
(2nd time)
Tory
1804–06
William Wyndham Grenville,