Research & Information
Explore our extensive biographies, research articles and information to learn more about the history of the British Prime Minister. In these pages you will find biographies of every former Prime Minister, as well as articles and information about great decisions, the powers of the Prime Minister, and life in 10 Downing Street.
Image credit: “10 Downing Street, SW1” by Leonard Bentley is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Cropped
Image credit: Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, studio of Jean Baptiste van Loo, 1740. Photo © National Portrait Gallery, London licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0
The Prime Ministers
Discover in-depth information on Britain’s past and present Prime Ministers, including their premierships, personal lives, and key events.
From Rishi Sunak to Robert Walpole, read about the history of the Prime Minister. Which was the only one to sit in Parliament during the Seventeenth Century? Which one was a famous novelist? Which one has a prominent city in Pennsylvania named after him? Read their in-depth biographies and explore related articles.
Filter by party, time served, or search for specific Prime Ministers.
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The life of the Prime Minister
What does the Prime Minister do? What are their responsibilities? How have these changed over the centuries? What is Chequers? When was the black door installed?
Here you can learn about the day-to-day realities of the Prime Minister’s life or explore 10 Downing Street room by room, from the Cabinet Room to the State Dining Room.
Learn more about the Prime Minister’s countryside retreat, Chequers or find out more about a few places with a hidden Prime Ministerial connection, from Houghton hall to Chatsworth.
Find out more
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks during Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons, London. Credit: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo. Photographer: House of Commons.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks during Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons, London. Credit: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo. Photographer: House of Commons.
Prime Ministerial Residences
In depth Articles
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 February 1742, Britain’s first Prime Minister resigned. How did it happen? Robert Walpole…
For nearly twenty years Robert Walpole was the central figure of British…
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, and the consequences of this decision continue to influence world affairs to this…
The declaration of war in 1914 was one of the most historic…
The Pre-Prime Ministers: The Chief Ministers
Like almost everything in the British political system, the position of Prime Minister was not created by a constitution or a set of formally defined procedures. Instead, it emerged from a set of circumstances created by the 1688 ‘Glorious Revolution’…
Like almost everything in the British political system, the position of Prime…
Collections & Content
Andrew Bonar Law
Bonar Law was the shortest serving Prime Minister of the 20th Century, being in office for just 209 days. He was gravely ill when he t…
The Earl of Rosebery
Lord Rosebery was Gladstone’s successor and the most recent Prime Minister whose entire parliamentary career…
Arthur James Balfour
Arthur Balfour was Salisbury’s successor. He had a reputation as a good parliamentarian, a capable minister, and an excellent ta…
The Duke of Wellington
Wellington is a Prime Minister who is today largely remembered for achievements unrelated to his premiership. …
The Duke of Grafton
The Duke of Grafton believed, according to Horace Walpole, that ‘the world should be postponed to a whore and a…
Benjamin Disraeli
Charming, brilliant, witty, visionary, colourful, and unconventional, Benjamin Disraeli (nicknamed ‘Dizzy’) was one of the greate…
Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson is one of the most charismatic and controversial politicians of the modern era. To supporters, he was an authentic voice wh…
The Earl Grey
Earl Grey was the great aristocratic reformer. His government passed the ‘Great Reform Act of 1832’, ending an entire e…
