Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, known between 1725 and 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole, was a British statesman and Whig politician who, as First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Leader of the House of Commons, is generally regarded as the de facto first Prime Minister of Great Britain. Although the exact dates of Walpole's dominance, dubbed the "Robinocracy", are a matter of scholarly debate, the period 1721–1742 is often used. He dominated the Walpole–Townshend ministry, as well as the subsequent Walpole ministry, and holds the record as the longest-serving British prime minister.
Walpole was a Whig from the gentry class who was first elected to Parliament in 1701 and held many senior positions. He was a country squire and looked to country gentlemen for his political base. He mostly avoided controversy and high-intensity disputes as his middle way attracted moderates from both the Whig and Tory camps, but his appointment to Chancellor of the Exchequer after the South Sea Bubble stock-market crisis drew attention to perceived protection of political allies by Walpole. Some scholars rank him highly among British prime ministers.
Robert Walpole • Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington • Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle • William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire • Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle • John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute • George Grenville • Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham • William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham • Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton • Frederick North, Lord North • Charles Watson-Wentworth • William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne • William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland • William Pitt the Younger • Henry Addington • William Pitt the Younger • William Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville • William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland • Spencer Perceval • Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool • George Canning • F. J. Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich • Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington • Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey • William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne • Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington • Robert Peel • William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne • Robert Peel • John Russell, 1st Earl Russell • Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby • George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen • Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston • Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby • Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston • John Russell, 1st Earl Russell • Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby • Benjamin Disraeli • William Ewart Gladstone • Benjamin Disraeli • William Ewart Gladstone • Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury • William Ewart Gladstone • Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury • William Ewart Gladstone • Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery • Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury • Arthur Balfour • Henry Campbell-Bannerman • H. H. Asquith • David Lloyd George • Bonar Law • Stanley Baldwin • Ramsay MacDonald • Stanley Baldwin • Ramsay MacDonald • Stanley Baldwin • Neville Chamberlain • Winston Churchill • Clement Attlee • Winston Churchill • Anthony Eden • Harold Macmillan • Alec Douglas-Home • Harold Wilson • Edward Heath • Harold Wilson • James Callaghan • Margaret Thatcher • Henry Collingridge • Francis Urquhart • Tom Makepeace • Undisclosed Labour Leader
Robert Walpole • Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington • Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle • William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire • Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle • John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute • George Grenville • Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham • William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham • Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton • Frederick North, Lord North • Charles Watson-Wentworth • William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne • William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland • William Pitt the Younger • Henry Addington • William Pitt the Younger • William Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville • William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland • Spencer Perceval • Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool • George Canning • F. J. Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich • Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington • Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey • William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne • Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington • Robert Peel • William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne • Robert Peel • John Russell, 1st Earl Russell • Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby • George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen • Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston • Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby • Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston • John Russell, 1st Earl Russell • Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby • Benjamin Disraeli • William Ewart Gladstone • Benjamin Disraeli • William Ewart Gladstone • Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury • William Ewart Gladstone • Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury • William Ewart Gladstone • Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery • Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury • Arthur Balfour • Henry Campbell-Bannerman • H. H. Asquith • David Lloyd George • Bonar Law • Stanley Baldwin • Ramsay MacDonald • Stanley Baldwin • Ramsay MacDonald • Stanley Baldwin • Neville Chamberlain • Winston Churchill • Clement Attlee • Winston Churchill • Anthony Eden • Harold Macmillan • Alec Douglas-Home • Harold Wilson • Edward Heath • Harold Wilson • James Callaghan • Margaret Thatcher • John Major • Tony Blair • Gordon Brown • David Cameron • Theresa May • Boris Johnson • Liz Truss • Rishi Sunak
