In-depth Articles
Power, drama, consequence… Step back in time and explore some of the momentous events of Prime Ministerial history within our in-depth articles.
On this page, you can learn more about the fall of Britain’s first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole, in 1742, and, perhaps the most important decision ever taken by a British Cabinet, the decision to go to war with Germany in August 1914.
Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford.
The Fall of Margaret Thatcher
On 12 November, in a speech at London’s Guildhall, she stated that she was ‘still at the crease’ and determined to go on: ‘There will be no…
The Pre-Prime Ministers: The Chief Ministers
Thomas Cromwell, 1485-1540 Oliver Cromwell, 1599-1658 There are several reasons why these figures could not be considered Prime Ministers, though many of them took on functions that…
The fall of Robert Walpole
For nearly twenty years Robert Walpole was the central figure of British politics. But, from 1737 onwards, a series of events broke his grip on power. In…
The Decision to Go to War, 1914
The declaration of war in 1914 was one of the most historic decisions ever made by a British government. Ultimately, it ended a way of governing Britain,…
Chancellors, whips, and Wellington: Numbers 11, 12 and…. 14 Downing Street?
In 1682, George Downing decided to build some houses on a lease of land he had been gifted for his loyalty to the Stuart dynasty. He built…
Downing Street Tour
A short tour of Number 10 Downing Street. 10 Downing Street’s black door is seen at every election and during every political crisis. The Prime Minister will…
Wolsey to Walpole: York Place to Downing Street
How did a large London town house become the home of the Prime Minister? It’s a good question. Most countries have a lavish mansion for their head…
