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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.

• 1330–1340: John de Stratford, Archbishop of Canterbury
• 1367–1371: William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester
• 1389–1391: William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester

• 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

• 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

Minister		Birth	Death	Formal office(s)	Monarch
Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby 1485–1504		1435, England Son of Thomas Stanley, 1st Baron Stanley and Joan Goushill	29 July 1504, Lancashire Aged 68–69	Lord High Constable	Henry VII (1485–1509)
Sir Richard Empson & Edmund Dudley 1505–1509		1450, England Son of Peter Empson and Elizabeth Joseph 1462 or 1471, England Son of Sir John Dudley and Elizabeth Bramshot	17 August 1510, Tower Hill Executed for treason Aged 59–60 and 39–47 (respectively)	Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Empson) & President of the King's Council (Dudley)
No informal holder; personal rule of king Henry VIII (1509–1514)					Henry VIII (1509–1547)
Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, Archbishop of York 1514–1529		March 1473, Ipswich Son of Robert Wolsey and Joan Daundy	29 November 1530, Leicester Aged 57	Lord Chancellor
Sir Thomas More 1529–1532		7 February 1478, London Son of Sir John More and Agnes Graunger	6 July 1535, Tower Hill Executed for treason Aged 57	Lord Chancellor
Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex (1540) 1532–1540		1485, Putney Son of Walter Cromwell and Katherine Williams	28 July 1540, Tower Hill Executed for treason Aged 54–55	Chancellor of the Exchequer Lord Privy Seal Secretary of State Master of the Rolls
Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk 1540–1546		1473, England Son of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk and Elizabeth Tilney, Countess of Surrey	25 August 1554, Kenninghall Aged 80–81	Lord High Treasurer Earl Marshal
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset 1547–1549		1500, England Son of Sir John Seymour and Margery Wentworth	22 January 1552, Tower Hill Executed for treason Aged 50–51	Lord Protector of the Realm Lord High Treasurer Earl Marshal	Edward VI (1547–1553) and Jane (1553)
John Dudley, 1st Earl of Warwick then (1551) 1st Duke of Northumberland 1549–1553		1504, London Son of Edmund Dudley and Elizabeth Grey	22 August 1553, Tower Hill Executed for treason Aged 48–49	Lord Great Chamberlain Lord President of the Council Lord Steward
Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester 1553–1555		1483, Bury St Edmunds Son of Jonh or Wyllyam Gardiner and Helen Tudor	12 November 1555, London Aged 71–72	Lord Chancellor	Mary I (1553–1558)
Cardinal Reginald Pole, Archbishop of Canterbury 1555–1558		3 March 1500, Stourton Son of Sir Richard Pole and Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury	17 November 1558, London Aged 58	—
William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester 1558–1572		1483/85, Fisherton Delamere Son of Sir John Paulet and Alice Paulet	10 March 1572, Old Basing Aged 88–89	Lord High Treasurer	Elizabeth I (1558–1603)
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley 1572–1598		13 September 1520, Bourne Son of Sir Richard Cecil and Jane Heckington	4 August 1598, Westminster Aged 77	Lord High Treasurer Lord Privy Seal
Thomas Sackville, 1st Baron Buckhurst 1599–1603		1536, Withyham Son of Sir Richard Sackville and Winifred Brydges	19 April 1608, Westminster Aged 71–72	Lord High Treasurer

Minister		Birth	Death	Formal office(s)	Monarch
Robert Cecil, Baron Cecil then (1605) 1st Earl of Salisbury 1603 – 1612		1 June 1563, Westminster Son of William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley and Mildred Cooke	24 May 1612, Marlborough Aged 48	Lord High Treasurer Lord Privy Seal	James I (1603–1625)
Henry Howard, 1st Earl of Northampton 1612 – 1614		25 February 1540, Shotesham Son of Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey and Frances de Vere	15 June 1614, Westminster Aged 74	First Lord of the Treasury Lord Privy Seal
Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset 1614 – 1615		c. 1587, Wrington Son of Sir Thomas Kerr (Carr) and Janet Scott	17 July 1645, Dorset Aged 57–58	Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports Lord Chamberlain Lord Privy Seal
No informal holder; personal rule of king James I (1615–1617)
Francis Bacon, Baron Verulam (1618) 1617 – 1621		22 January 1561, Strand, London Son of Sir Nicholas Bacon and Anne Cooke	9 April 1626, Highgate Aged 65	Lord Chancellor
George Villiers, arosed (1623) 1st Duke of Buckingham 1621 – 1628		28 August 1592, Brooksby Son of Sir George Villiers and Mary Beaumont	23 August 1628, Portsmouth Assassinated by John Felton Aged 35	Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports Lord High Admiral Master of the Horse
					Charles I (1625–1649) Since 1642 in status of civil war
Richard Weston, Baron Weston then (1633) 1st Earl of Portland 1628 – 1634/35		1 March 1577, Essex Son of Sir Jerome Weston and Mary Cave	13 March 1634/35, prob. Westminster Aged 57/58	Lord High Treasurer First Lord of the Admiralty
No informal holder; personal rule of king Charles I (1635–1640)
Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford 1640 – 1641		13 April 1593, London Son of Sir William Wentworth and Anne Atkins	12 May 1641, Tower Hill Executed for conspiracy Aged 48	Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
Robert Bertie, 1st Earl of Lindsey 1641 – 1642		16 December 1582, England Son of Sir Peregrine Bertie and Mary de Vere	24 October 1642, Edge Hill Aged 59	Lord Great Chamberlain
Prince Rupert, Count Palatine of the Rhine 1642 – 1646		17 December 1619, Prague Son of Frederick V, Elector Palatine and Elizabeth Stuart	29 November 1682, Westminster Aged 62	—
Imprisonment of king Charles I until his execution (1646–1649)

This is very true: for my words are my own, and my actions are my ministers.

— King Charles II, reply to Lord Rochester's epitaph on him (Knowles 1999, p. 203)

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.

Portrait		Minister(s) (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Ministerial offices	Party	Election	Ministry
		1st Earl of Clarendon (1609–1674)	1660	1667	First Lord of the Treasury (1660) Chancellor of the Exchequer (1660–61) Lord Chancellor	—	1661	Clarendon
	Buckingham	The C.A.B.A.L. 1st Baron Clifford of Chudleigh (1630–1673) 1st Earl of Arlington (1618–1685) 2nd Duke of Buckingham (1628–1687) Lord Ashley (1621–1683) 1st Duke of Lauderdale (1621–1683)	1667	1674	(See Cabal ministry for details.)	—		Cabal
		1st Earl of Danby (1632–1712)	1674	March 1679	Lord High Treasurer	Tory	—	Danby I
	Temple	The Privy Council chaired by Sir William Temple (1628–1699)	April 1679	November 1679	(See Privy Council ministry for details.)	—		Privy Council
	Rochester Godolphin Sunderland	1st Earl of Rochester (1642–1711) & 1st Earl of Godolphin (1645–1712) & 2nd Earl of Sunderland (1641–1702)	November 1679	1687	(Rochester:) First Lord of the Treasury (1679–84) (Godolphin:) First Lord of the Treasury (1684–85) (Sunderland:) Northern Secretary (1679–80 & 1683–84) (Godolphin:) Northern Secretary (1684) (Sunderland:) Southern Secretary (1680–81 & 1684–88) (Rochester:) Lord High Treasurer (1685–87)	Tory	1681	The Chits
							1685

Portrait		Minister(s) (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Ministerial offices	Party	Election	Ministry
	Carmarthen Halifax	1st Marquess of Carmarthen (1632–1712) & 1st Marquess of Halifax (1633–1695)	1689	8 February 1690	(Carmarthen:) Lord President of the Council (Halifax:) Lord Privy Seal	—	1689	Carmarthen–Halifax
		1st Marquess of Carmarthen (1632–1712)	February 1690	1695	Lord President of the Council	Tory	1690	Carmarthen

From 1693 and during the sole reign of William III, the government was increasingly dominated by the Whig Junto.

The Kingdoms of England and Scotland united to form the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707.

Portrait		Minister(s) (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Ministerial offices	Party	Election	Ministry
	Godolphin Marlborough	1st Earl of Godolphin (1645–1712) & 1st Duke of Marlborough (1650–1722)	1702	1710	(Godolphin:) Lord High Treasurer (Marlborough:) Master-General of the Ordnance	Tory	1702	Godolphin–Marlborough
							1705
							1708
		Robert Harley (1661–1724)	1710	30 July 1714	Chancellor of the Exchequer (1710–11) Lord High Treasurer (1711–14)	Tory (formerly Whig)	1710	Harley
							1713
		1st Duke of Shrewsbury (1660–1718)	30 July 1714	13 October 1714	Lord High Treasurer	Tory	—

In the immediate aftermath of the death of Queen Anne in 1714, the monarchy was unable to function as the new King was in his domains in Hanover and did not know of his accession. As a stopgap, Parliament elected Thomas Parker, 1st Earl of Macclesfield Regent, or "acting king" until the new monarch arrived to take his crown. Later, George, Prince of Wales reigned as regent for six months from July 1716 to January 1717 when the King went to Hanover.

In the early part of the reign of George I, who could not speak English, the cabinet began meeting without the monarch present.

Following the succession of George I and the resignation of the Duke of Shrewsbury in 1714, the office of Lord High Treasurer went into permanent commission, its function undertaken by a commission of Lords of the Treasury, chaired by the First Lord of the Treasury, rather than by an individual Lord High Treasurer. From 1714 to 1717 the ministry was led by Viscount Townshend, who was nominally Northern Secretary; the Earl of Halifax, the Earl of Carlisle and Sir Robert Walpole successively served alongside Townshend as nominal First Lord of the Treasury. From 1717 to 1721 Lords Stanhope (First Lord 1717–18) and Sunderland (First Lord 1718–21) led the administration jointly, with Stanhope managing foreign affairs and Sunderland managing home affairs. Stanhope died in February 1721 and Sunderland resigned in April 1721; Townshend and Walpole returned to office.

Thus the First Lord of the Treasury came to be the most powerful minister and the prototype of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and its dominions.

Portrait		Minister(s) (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Ministerial offices	Party	Election	Ministry
		2nd Viscount Townshend (1674–1738)	13 October 1714	1716	Northern Secretary	Whig	1715	Townshend
	Stanhope Sunderland	1st Viscount Stanhope (c. 1673–1721) & 3rd Earl of Sunderland (1675–1722)	12 April 1717	21 March 1718	(Stanhope:) First Lord of the Treasury Chancellor of the Exchequer (Sunderland:) Northern Secretary	Whig	—	Stanhope–Sunderland I
			21 March 1718	4 April 1721	(Sunderland:) First Lord of the Treasury (Stanhope:) Northern Secretary	Whig		Stanhope–Sunderland II

• Chief minister of France