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This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (July 2017) |
Chief minister is a term used retroactively by historians to describe servants of the English monarch who presided over the government of England, and after 1707, Great Britain, before 1721. Chief ministers were usually one of the great officers of state, but it was not unusual for there to be no chief minister.[1]
Under the Norman and Angevin kings, the justiciar was often chief minister. When kings left England to oversee other parts of the Angevin Empire, the justiciar functioned as his viceroy or regent. In the 13th century, after the loss of the Angevin territories in France, the justiciar's power declined as monarchs resided permanently in England.[2]
For the next three centuries, the Lord Chancellor was most often chief minister. The chancellor served as Keeper of the Great Seal, presided over the Privy Council and Parliament, and led the High Court of Chancery. After the English Reformation, the chancellor's power shifted to the Lord High Treasurer.[3] After 1721, the office of prime minister became the head of British governments.
This list of chief ministers is organised by royal dynasty. For a list of particular governments of the Kingdom of England, see List of English ministries.
Anglo-Saxons
Minister | Birth | Death | Formal office(s) | Monarch | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury 946–955[4] |
c. 920, near Glastonbury Son of Thegn Heorstan and Cynethryth |
19 May 988 | Treasurer Chancellor |
Eadred (946–955) | |
No informal holder; personal rule of King Eadwig (955–959) | |||||
Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury 959–978[5] |
c. 920, near Glastonbury Son of Thegn Heorstan and Cynethryth |
19 May 988 | Chancellor | Edgar (959–975) | |
No informal holder (978–1021) | |||||
Godwin, Earl of Wessex 1022–1053[6] |
c. 988, England Son of Wulfnoth Cild |
15 April 1053 | Justiciar Treasurer |
Cnut (1016–1035)
Harold I (1035–1040) Harthacnut (1040–1042) Edward the Confessor(1042–1066) | |
Harold, Earl of Wessex 1053–1066[7] |
c. 1022, England Son of Godwin, Earl of Wessex |
14 October 1066 | — |
Normans
Minister | Birth | Death | Formal office(s) | Monarch | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No informal holder; personal rule of King William I (1066–1087) | |||||
Ranulf Flambard, Bishop of Durham 1089–1100[8] |
c. 1060, near Bayeux Son of Thurstin |
5 September 1128, Durham | Treasurer Justiciar Keeper of the Great Seal |
William II (1087–1100) | |
Roger, Bishop of Salisbury 1100–1135[9] |
c. 1070-1080, Normandy |
11 December 1139, Salisbury | Lord Chancellor Justiciar |
Henry I (1100–1135) |
Plantagenets
Minister | Birth | Death | Formal office(s) | Monarch |
---|---|---|---|---|
Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury 1155–1162[4] |
21 December 1118, London Son of Gilbert and Matilda Beket |
29 December 1170, Canterbury | Lord Chancellor | Henry II (1154–1189) |
No informal holder; personal rule of king Henry II (1162–1189) | ||||
William de Longchamp, Bishop of Ely 1190–1191[10][11] |
Normandy Son of Hugh de Longchamp and Eve de Lacy |
January 1197 | Justiciar Lord Chancellor |
Richard I (1189–1199) |
Walter de Coutances, Archbishop of Rouen 1191–1194[12] |
Cornwall Son of Reinfrid and Gonilla |
16 November 1207 | Justiciar | |
No informal holder; personal rule of King Richard I (1194–1199) | ||||
William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke 1213–1216[13] |
c. 1145, Wiltshire Son of John Marshall and Sybilla of Salisbury |
14 May 1219, Caversham | Lord Marshal | John (1199–1216) |
William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke 1216–1219[14] |
c. 1145 Wiltshire Son of John Marshall and Sybilla of Salisbury |
14 May 1219, Caversham | Regent Lord Marshal |
Henry III (1216–1272) |
Hubert de Burgh, Earl of Kent 1219–1232[15][16] |
c. 1175, Norfolk Son of Sir Reyner de Burgh |
c. 5 May 1243, Banstead | Regent (1219–1227) Justiciar | |
Peter des Roches, Bishop of Winchester 1232–1234[17] |
— | 9 June 1238 | — | |
Personal rule (1234–1258); Council of Fifteen (1258–1261); Personal rule (1262–1264) | ||||
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester 1264–1265[18] |
c. 1208, Montfort-l'Amaury Son of Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester and Alix de Montmorency |
4 August 1265, Evesham | Lord High Steward Protector of the Realm | |
No informal holder; personal rule of King Henry III (1265–1272) | ||||
Regents: Walter Giffard, Roger Mortimer, and Robert Burnell (1272–1274)[19] | Edward I (1272–1307) | |||
Robert Burnell, Bishop of Bath and Wells 1274–1292[20] |
c. 1235, Acton Burnell Son of Robert Burnell |
25 October 1292, | Lord Chancellor |
- 1330–1340: John de Stratford, Archbishop of Canterbury
- 1367–1371: William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester
- 1389–1391: William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester
House of Lancaster
- 1413–1417: Henry Beaufort, Cardinal, Bishop of Winchester
- 1422–1435: John, Duke of Bedford, Regent, died 14 September 1435
- 1422–1437: Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, Regent, died 23 February 1447
- 1424–1427: Henry Beaufort, Cardinal, Bishop of Winchester
- 1432–1447: Henry Beaufort, Cardinal, Bishop of Winchester
- 1447–1450: William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk
- 3 April 1454 – February 1455: Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York
- 19 November 1455 – 25 February 1456: Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, Protector (Regent) for King Henry VI
- 1470–1471: Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick †; known as Warwick the Kingmaker; killed at the Battle of Barnet
House of York
- 1461–1467: Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick; known as Warwick the Kingmaker
- 1475–1483: Thomas Rotherham, Archbishop of York
- 30 April – 26 June 1483: Richard Plantagenet, Duke of Gloucester, was Lord Protector of the Realm during the nominal reign of 12-year-old King Edward V (one of the "Princes in the Tower"), before claiming the throne for himself as King Richard III
House of Tudor
House of Stuart
Stuart Restoration
This is very true: for my words are my own, and my actions are my ministers.
In 1660, the leadership of the Commonwealth recalled Charles II and the chief minister became responsible to some extent to Parliament as leader of a ministry, although much of the time King Charles was in effect his own chief minister. The Glorious Revolution of 1688–89 furthered this process and by the time of Queen Anne in 1702, monarchs had little choice as to who their ministers would be.