HOME

TheInfoList



Click Here for Items Related To - Secretary Of State For Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs
OR:
Secretary Of State For Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs on:   [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Amazon]

The secretary of state for foreign, commonwealth and development affairs, also known as the foreign secretary, is a secretary of state in the
Government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...
of the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, with responsibility for the
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is the ministry of foreign affairs and a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the government of the United Kingdom. The office was created on 2 ...
. The role is seen as one of the most senior ministers in the UK Government and is a Great Office of State. The incumbent is a member of the
Cabinet of the United Kingdom The Cabinet of the United Kingdom is the senior decision-making body of the Government of the United Kingdom. A committee of the Privy Council (United Kingdom), Privy Council, it is chaired by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Prime M ...
and National Security Council, and reports directly to the
prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
. The officeholder works alongside the other Foreign Office ministers. The corresponding shadow minister is the
Shadow Foreign Secretary The shadow secretary of state for foreign, Commonwealth and development affairs, commonly called the shadow foreign secretary, is a position within the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet (United Kingdom), UK official opposition shadow cabinet th ...
. The
Foreign Affairs Select Committee The Foreign Affairs Select Committee is one of many select committees of the British House of Commons, which scrutinises the expenditure, administration and policy of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office The Foreign, Commonwea ...
also evaluates the secretary of state's performance. The current foreign secretary is
David Lammy David Lindon Lammy FRSA (born 19 July 1972) is a British politician who has served as Foreign Secretary since July 2024. A member of the Labour Party, he has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Tottenham since 2000. Lammy previously held vario ...
. He was appointed by Prime Minister
Keir Starmer Sir Keir Rodney Starmer (born 2 September 1962) is a British politician and lawyer who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 2024 and as Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party since 2020. He previously ...
on 5 July 2024.


Responsibilities

In contrast to what is generally known as a
foreign minister In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...
in many other countries, the Foreign Secretary's remit includes: * British relations with foreign countries and governments * Promotion of British interests abroad * Matters pertaining to the
Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the British Commonwealth or simply the Commonwealth, is an International organization, international association of member states of the Commonwealth of Nations, 56 member states, the vast majo ...
and the Overseas Territories * Oversight for the
Secret Intelligence Service The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 (MI numbers, Military Intelligence, Section 6), is the foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom, tasked mainly with the covert overseas collection and analysis of Human i ...
(MI6) and the
Government Communications Headquarters Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) is an intelligence and security organisation responsible for providing signals intelligence (SIGINT) and information assurance (IA) to the government and armed forces of the United Kingdom. Primari ...
(GCHQ)


Residence

The
official residence An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless of whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority (either their own or that of th ...
of the foreign secretary is 1 Carlton Gardens, in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
. The foreign secretary also has the use of Chevening House, a
country house image:Blenheim - Blenheim Palace - 20210417125239.jpg, 300px, Blenheim Palace - Oxfordshire An English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a Townhou ...
in
Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...
,
South East England South East England is one of the nine official regions of England, regions of England that are in the ITL 1 statistical regions of England, top level category for Statistics, statistical purposes. It consists of the nine counties of england, ...
, and works from the Foreign Office in
Whitehall Whitehall is a road and area in the City of Westminster, Central London, England. The road forms the first part of the A roads in Zone 3 of the Great Britain numbering scheme, A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea, London, Chelsea. It ...
.


History

The title of secretary of state in the government of England dates back to the early 17th century. The position of secretary of state for foreign affairs was created in the British governmental reorganisation of 1782, in which the Northern Department and Southern Department became the
Foreign Office Foreign may refer to: Government * Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries ** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government ** Foreign office and foreign minister * United ...
and
Home Office The Home Office (HO), also known (especially in official papers and when referred to in Parliament) as the Home Department, is the United Kingdom's interior ministry. It is responsible for public safety and policing, border security, immigr ...
respectively. The
India Office The India Office was a British government department in London established in 1858 to oversee the administration of the Provinces of India, through the British viceroy and other officials. The administered territories comprised most of the mo ...
was closed down in 1947. It had been a constituent predecessor department of the Foreign Office, like the
Colonial Office The Colonial Office was a government department of the Kingdom of Great Britain and later of the United Kingdom, first created in 1768 from the Southern Department to deal with colonial affairs in North America (particularly the Thirteen Colo ...
and the
Dominions Office The position of secretary of state for dominion affairs was a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, responsible for British relations with the Empire’s dominions – Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Newfoundl ...
. Eventually, the position of secretary of state for foreign and Commonwealth affairs came into existence in 1968 with the merger of the functions of secretary of state for foreign affairs and the
secretary of state for Commonwealth affairs The secretary of state for commonwealth affairs was a British Cabinet minister responsible for dealing with the United Kingdom's relations with members of the Commonwealth of Nations (its former colonies). The minister's department was the Common ...
into a single
department of state The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs ...
.
Margaret Beckett Margaret Mary Beckett, Baroness Beckett, (; born 15 January 1943), is a British politician. She was a member of Parliament (MP) for more than 45 years, first from 1974 to 1979 and then from 1983 to 2024. A member of the Labour Party, she was ...
, appointed in 2006 by
Tony Blair Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He was Leader ...
, was the first woman to hold the post. The post of Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs was created in 2020 when position holder
Dominic Raab Dominic Rennie Raab ( ; born 25 February 1974) is a British former politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor from September 2021 to September 2022 and again from October 2022 to ...
absorbed the responsibilities of the
secretary of state for international development The minister of state for development, formerly the minister of state for development and Africa and the secretary of state for international development, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom. The offic ...
.


List of foreign secretaries


Secretaries of state for foreign affairs (1782–1968)

, 25 March 1807 , 11 October 1809 , ,
Tory A Tory () is an individual who supports a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalist conservatism which upholds the established social order as it has evolved through the history of Great Britain. The To ...
, , Portland II , - ! style="background-color: " , , , Henry Bathurst
3rd Earl Bathurst , 11 October 1809 , 6 December 1809 , ,
Tory A Tory () is an individual who supports a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalist conservatism which upholds the established social order as it has evolved through the history of Great Britain. The To ...
, rowspan=2 ,
Perceval Perceval (, also written Percival, Parzival, Parsifal), alternatively called Peredur (), is a figure in the legend of King Arthur, often appearing as one of the Knights of the Round Table. First mentioned by the French author Chrétien de Tro ...
, - ! style="background-color: " , , , Richard Wellesley
1st Marquess Wellesley , 6 December 1809 , 4 March 1812 , ,
Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...
, - ! height=50 style="background-color: ; border-bottom:none" , , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 , Robert Stewart
2nd Marquess of Londonderry , rowspan=2 , 4 March 1812 , rowspan=2 , 12 August 1822 , rowspan=2 ,
Tory A Tory () is an individual who supports a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalist conservatism which upholds the established social order as it has evolved through the history of Great Britain. The To ...
, rowspan=3 ,
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
, - ! height=50 style="background-color: ; border-top:none" , ! scope=row style="text-align:center" rowspan=6 , George IV
, - , style="background-color: " , , ,
George Canning George Canning (; 11 April 17708 August 1827) was a British Tory statesman. He held various senior cabinet positions under numerous prime ministers, including two important terms as foreign secretary, finally becoming Prime Minister of the U ...

, 16 September 1822 , 30 April 1827 , ,
Tory A Tory () is an individual who supports a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalist conservatism which upholds the established social order as it has evolved through the history of Great Britain. The To ...
, - ! rowspan=2 style="background-color: ; border:none" , , rowspan=3 , , rowspan=3 , John Ward
1st Earl of Dudley , rowspan=3 , 30 April 1827 , rowspan=3 , 2 June 1828 , rowspan=3 ,
Tory A Tory () is an individual who supports a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalist conservatism which upholds the established social order as it has evolved through the history of Great Britain. The To ...
, ,
Canning Canning is a method of food preservation in which food is processed and sealed in an airtight container (jars like Mason jars, and steel and tin cans). Canning provides a shelf life that typically ranges from one to five years, although under ...

, - , , Goderich , - ! style="background-color: ; border:none" , , rowspan=3 , Wellington–Peel , - ! height=50 style="background-color: ; border-bottom:none" , , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 , George Hamilton-Gordon
4th Earl of Aberdeen , rowspan=2 , 2 June 1828 , rowspan=2 , 22 November 1830 , rowspan=2 ,
Tory A Tory () is an individual who supports a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalist conservatism which upholds the established social order as it has evolved through the history of Great Britain. The To ...
, - ! height=50 style="background-color: ; border-top:none" , ! scope=row style="text-align:center" rowspan=6 , William IV
, - ! rowspan=2 style="background-color: " , , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 , Henry John Temple
3rd Viscount Palmerston
MP for 3 constituencies respectively , rowspan=2 , 22 November 1830 , rowspan=2 , 14 November 1834 , rowspan=2 , Whig , ,
Grey Grey (more frequent in British English) or gray (more frequent in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning that it has no chroma. It is the color of a cloud-covered s ...
, - , , Melbourne I , - ! style="background-color: " , , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 , Arthur Wellesley
1st Duke of Wellington , rowspan=2 , 14 November 1834 , rowspan=2 , 18 April 1835 , ,
Tory A Tory () is an individual who supports a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalist conservatism which upholds the established social order as it has evolved through the history of Great Britain. The To ...
, , Wellington Caretaker , - ! style="background-color: " , , ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
, , Peel I , - ! height=50 style="background-color: ; border-bottom:none" , , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 , Henry John Temple
3rd Viscount Palmerston
MP for Tiverton , rowspan=2 , 18 April 1835 , rowspan=2 , 2 September 1841 , rowspan=2 , Whig , rowspan=2 , Melbourne II , - ! height=50 style="background-color: ; border-top:none" , ! scope=row style="text-align:center" rowspan=25 , Victoria

, - ! style="background-color: " , , , George Hamilton-Gordon
4th Earl of Aberdeen , 2 September 1841 , 6 July 1846 , ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
, , Peel II , - ! style="background-color: " , , , Henry John Temple
3rd Viscount Palmerston
MP for Tiverton , 6 July 1846 , 26 December 1851 , , Whig , rowspan=2 , Russell I , - ! style="background-color: " , , , Granville Leveson-Gower
2nd Earl Granville , 26 December 1851 , 27 February 1852 , , Whig , - ! style="background-color: " , , , James Howard Harris
3rd Earl of Malmesbury , 27 February 1852 , 28 December 1852 , ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
, , Who? Who? , - ! style="background-color: " , , , Lord John Russell
, 28 December 1852 , 21 February 1853 , , Whig , rowspan=2 ,
Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...

, - ! style="background-color: ; border:none" , , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 , George Villiers
4th Earl of Clarendon , rowspan=2 , 21 February 1853 , rowspan=2 , 26 February 1858 , rowspan=2 , Whig , - ! style="background-color: ; border:none" , , , Palmerston I , - ! style="background-color: " , , , James Howard Harris
3rd Earl of Malmesbury , 26 February 1858 , 18 June 1859 , ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
, , Derby–Disraeli II , - ! style="background-color: ; border:none" , , , John Russell
1st Earl Russell , 18 June 1859 , 3 November 1865 , , Liberal , , Palmerston II , - ! style="background-color: " , , , George Villiers
4th Earl of Clarendon , 3 November 1865 , 6 July 1866 , , Liberal , , Russell II , - ! style="background-color: " , , , Edward Stanley
Lord Stanley
MP for
King's Lynn King's Lynn, known until 1537 as Bishop's Lynn and colloquially as Lynn, is a port and market town in the borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk in the county of Norfolk, England. It is north-east of Peterborough, north-north-east of Cambridg ...
, 6 July 1866 , 9 December 1868 , ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
, , Derby–Disraeli III , - ! style="background-color: " , , , George Villiers
4th Earl of Clarendon , 9 December 1868 , 6 July 1870 , , Liberal , rowspan=2 , Gladstone I , - ! style="background-color: " , , , Granville Leveson-Gower
2nd Earl Granville , 6 July 1870 , 21 February 1874 , , Liberal , - ! style="background-color: " , , , Edward Stanley
15th Earl of Derby , 21 February 1874 , 2 April 1878 , ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
, rowspan=2 , Disraeli II , - ! style="background-color: " , , , Robert Gascoyne-Cecil
3rd Marquess of Salisbury , 2 April 1878 , 28 April 1880 , ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
, - ! style="background-color: " , , , Granville Leveson-Gower
2nd Earl Granville , 28 April 1880 , 24 June 1885 , , Liberal , , Gladstone II , - ! style="background-color: " , , , Robert Gascoyne-Cecil
3rd Marquess of Salisbury , 24 June 1885 , 6 February 1886 , ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
, , Salisbury I , - ! style="background-color: " , , , Archibald Primrose
5th Earl of Rosebery , 6 February 1886 , 3 August 1886 , , Liberal , , Gladstone III , - ! style="background-color: " , , , Stafford Northcote
1st Earl of Iddesleigh , 3 August 1886 , 12 January 1887 , ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
, rowspan=2 , Salisbury II , - ! style="background-color: " , , , Robert Gascoyne-Cecil
3rd Marquess of Salisbury , 14 January 1887 , 11 August 1892 , ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
, - ! style="background-color: " , , , Archibald Primrose
5th Earl of Rosebery , 18 August 1892 , 11 March 1894 , , Liberal , , Gladstone IV , - ! style="background-color: " , , , John Wodehouse
1st Earl of Kimberley , 11 March 1894 , 21 June 1895 , , Liberal , , Rosebery , - ! style="background-color: " , , , Robert Gascoyne-Cecil
3rd Marquess of Salisbury , 29 June 1895 , 12 November 1900 , ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
, rowspan=3 , Salisbury

, - ! style="background-color: ; border:none" , , rowspan=3 , , rowspan=3 , Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice
5th Marquess of Lansdowne , rowspan=3 , 12 November 1900 , rowspan=3 , 4 December 1905 , rowspan=3 , Liberal Unionist , - ! style="background-color: ; border:none" , ! scope=row style="text-align:center" rowspan=4 ,
Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910. The second child ...


, - ! style="background-color: ; border:none" , , , Balfour , - ! style="background-color: ; border:none" , , rowspan=4 , , rowspan=4 , Edward Grey
MP for
Berwick-upon-Tweed Berwick-upon-Tweed (), sometimes known as Berwick-on-Tweed or simply Berwick, is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, and the northernmost town in England. The 2011 United Kingdom census recor ...
, rowspan=4 , 10 December 1905 , rowspan=4 , 10 December 1916 , rowspan=4 , Liberal , , Campbell-Bannerman , - ! style="background-color: ; border:none" , , rowspan=2 , Asquith
 , - ! style="background-color: ; border:none" , ! scope=row style="text-align:center" rowspan=13 ,
George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. George w ...

, - ! style="background-color: ; border:none" , , , Asquith Coalition
, - ! style="background-color: " , , ,
Arthur Balfour Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour (; 25 July 184819 March 1930) was a British statesman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1902 to 1905. As Foreign Secretary ...

MP for the
City of London The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...
, 10 December 1916 , 23 October 1919 , ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
, rowspan=2 , Lloyd George
 , - ! style="background-color: ; border:none" , , rowspan=3 , , rowspan=3 , George Curzon
1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston , rowspan=3 , 23 October 1919 , rowspan=3 , 22 January 1924 , rowspan=3 ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
, - ! rowspan=2 style="background-color: ; border:none" , , ,
Law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...
, - , , Baldwin I , - ! style="background-color: " , , ,
Ramsay MacDonald James Ramsay MacDonald (; 12 October 18669 November 1937) was a British statesman and politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The first two of his governments belonged to the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party, where he led ...

, 22 January 1924 , 3 November 1924 , , Labour , , MacDonald I , - ! style="background-color: " , , ,
Austen Chamberlain Sir Joseph Austen Chamberlain (16 October 1863 – 16 March 1937) was a British statesman, son of Joseph Chamberlain and older half-brother of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. He served as a Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of ...

, 6 November 1924 , 4 June 1929 , ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
, , Baldwin II , - ! style="background-color: " , , ,
Arthur Henderson Arthur Henderson (13 September 1863 – 20 October 1935) was a British iron moulder and Labour Party (UK), Labour politician. He was the first Labour Cabinet of the United Kingdom, cabinet minister, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1934 and, uniqu ...

, 7 June 1929 , 24 August 1931 , , Labour , , MacDonald II , - ! style="background-color: " , , , Rufus Isaacs
1st Marquess of Reading , 25 August 1931 , 5 November 1931 , , Liberal , , National I
, - ! style="background-color: " , , , John Simon
MP for Spen Valley , 5 November 1931 , 7 June 1935 , , Liberal National , , National II , - ! style="background-color: " , , , Samuel Hoare
MP for Chelsea , 7 June 1935 , 18 December 1935 , ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
, rowspan=4 , National III
, - ! style="background-color: ; border:none" , , rowspan=4 , , rowspan=4 ,
Anthony Eden Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon (12 June 1897 – 14 January 1977) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1955 until his resignation in 1957. Achi ...

, rowspan=4 , 22 December 1935 , rowspan=4 , 20 February 1938 , rowspan=4 ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
, - ! style="background-color: ; border:none" , ! scope=row style="text-align:center" ,
Edward VIII Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire, and Emperor of India, from 20 January ...


, - ! style="background-color: ; border:none" , ! scope=row style="text-align:center" rowspan=10 ,
George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952 ...

, - ! style="background-color: ; border:none" , , rowspan=2 , National IV , - ! style="background-color: ; border-bottom: none" , , rowspan=3 , , rowspan=3 , Edward Wood
3rd Viscount Halifax , rowspan=3 , 21 February 1938 , rowspan=3 , 22 December 1940 , rowspan=3 ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
, - ! rowspan=2 style="background-color: ; border:none" , , , Chamberlain War , - , rowspan=2 , Churchill War
, - ! rowspan=2 style="background-color: " , , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 ,
Anthony Eden Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon (12 June 1897 – 14 January 1977) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1955 until his resignation in 1957. Achi ...

, rowspan=2 , 22 December 1940 , rowspan=2 , 26 July 1945 , rowspan=2 ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
, - , , Churchill Caretaker
, - ! style="background-color: " , , ,
Ernest Bevin Ernest Bevin (9 March 1881 – 14 April 1951) was a British statesman, trade union leader and Labour Party politician. He co-founded and served as General Secretary of the powerful Transport and General Workers' Union from 1922 to 1940 and ...

} , 27 July 1945 , 9 March 1951 , , Labour , rowspan=2 , Attlee
 , - ! style="background-color: " , , , Herbert Morrison
, 9 March 1951 , 26 October 1951 , , Labour , - ! height=50 style="background-color: ; border-bottom:none" , , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 ,
Anthony Eden Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon (12 June 1897 – 14 January 1977) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1955 until his resignation in 1957. Achi ...

, rowspan=2 , 28 October 1951 , rowspan=2 , 7 April 1955 , rowspan=2 ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
, rowspan=2 , Churchill III , - ! height=50 style="background-color: ; border-top:none" , ! scope=row style="text-align:center" rowspan=10 ,
Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

, - ! style="background-color: " , , ,
Harold Macmillan Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton (10 February 1894 – 29 December 1986), was a British statesman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1957 to 1963. Nickn ...

, 7 April 1955 , 20 December 1955 , ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
, rowspan=2 , Eden , - ! rowspan=2 style="background-color: " , , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 ,
Selwyn Lloyd John Selwyn Brooke Selwyn-Lloyd, Baron Selwyn-Lloyd (28 July 1904 – 17 May 1978), was a British politician who served as Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom), Speaker of the House of Commons from 1971 to 1976, having previously hel ...

, rowspan=2 , 20 December 1955 , rowspan=2 , 27 July 1960 , rowspan=2 ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
, - , rowspan=2 , Macmillan
 , - ! style="background-color: " , , , Alec Douglas-Home
14th Earl of Home , 27 July 1960 , 18 October 1963 , ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
, - ! style="background-color: " , , , Richard Austen Butler
, 20 October 1963 , 16 October 1964 , ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
, , Douglas-Home , - ! style="background-color: " , , ,
Patrick Gordon Walker Patrick Chrestien Gordon Walker, Baron Gordon-Walker, (7 April 1907 – 2 December 1980) was a British Labour Party politician. He was a Member of Parliament for nearly 30 years and twice a cabinet minister. He lost his Smethwick parliamenta ...

, 16 October 1964 , 22 January 1965 , , Labour , rowspan=4 , Wilson
 , - ! style="background-color: " , , , Michael Stewart
, 22 January 1965 , 11 August 1966 , , Labour , - ! style="background-color: " , , , George Brown
, 11 August 1966 , 16 March 1968 , , Labour , - ! style="background-color: " , , , Michael Stewart
, 16 March 1968 , 17 October 1968 , , Labour : Died in office.


Secretaries of state for foreign and Commonwealth affairs (1968–2020)

Post created through the merger of the
Foreign Office Foreign may refer to: Government * Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries ** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government ** Foreign office and foreign minister * United ...
and the
Commonwealth Office The secretary of state for commonwealth affairs was a British Cabinet minister responsible for dealing with the United Kingdom's relations with members of the Commonwealth of Nations (its former colonies). The minister's department was the Common ...
.


Secretaries of state for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (2020–''present'')

Post created through the merger of the
Foreign and Commonwealth Office The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is the ministry of foreign affairs and a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the government of the United Kingdom. The office was created on 2 ...
and the
Department for International Development The Department for International Development (DFID) was a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the government of the United Kingdom, from 1997 to 2020. It was responsible for administering foreign aid ...
.


Timeline


See also

* Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs *
Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs This is a list of Permanent Under-Secretary of State, Permanent Under-Secretaries in the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (and its predecessors) since 1790. Not to be confused with Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State f ...
*
Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs The secretary of state for commonwealth affairs was a British Cabinet minister responsible for dealing with the United Kingdom's relations with members of the Commonwealth of Nations (its former colonies). The minister's department was the Common ...
*
Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations The secretary of state for Commonwealth relations was a Secretary of State (United Kingdom), secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, responsible for dealing with the United Kingdom's relations with members of the Commonwealth o ...
*
Secretary of State for the Colonies The secretary of state for the colonies or colonial secretary was the Cabinet of the United Kingdom's government minister, minister in charge of managing certain parts of the British Empire. The colonial secretary never had responsibility for t ...
*
Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs The position of secretary of state for dominion affairs was a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, responsible for British relations with the Empire’s dominions – Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Newfoundl ...
*
Ministry of foreign affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...
*
Great Offices of State The Great Offices of State are senior offices in the Government of the United Kingdom, UK government. They are the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Foreign Secretary (United Kingdom), For ...


References


Further reading

* Cecil, Algernon. ''British foreign secretaries, 1807–1916: studies in personality and policy'' (1927). pp. 89–130
online
* Goodman, Sam. ''The Imperial Premiership: The Role of the Modern Prime Minister in Foreign Policy Making, 1964–2015'' (Oxford UP, 2016). * Hughes, Michael. ''British Foreign Secretaries in an Uncertain World, 1919–1939.'' (Routledge, 2004). * Johnson, Gaynor. "Introduction: The Foreign Office and British Diplomacy in the Twentieth Century", ''Contemporary British History,'' (2004) 18:3, 1–12, * Neilson, Keith, and Thomas G. Otte. ''The permanent under-secretary for foreign affairs, 1854–1946'' (Routledge, 2008). * Otte, Thomas G. ''The Foreign Office Mind: The Making of British Foreign Policy, 1865–1914'' (Cambridge UP, 2011). * Seldon, Anthony. ''The Impossible Office? The History of the British Prime Minister'' (2021
excerpt
major scholarly history. Covers the relations with Prime Minister in Chapter 8. * Steiner, Zara. ''The Foreign Office and Foreign Policy, 1898–1914'' (1986). * Temperley, Harold. "British Secret Diplomacy from Canning to Grey." ''Cambridge Historical Journal'' 6.1 (1938): 1–32. * Theakston, Kevin, ed. ''British foreign secretaries since 1974'' (Routledge, 2004). * Wilson, Keith M., ed. ''British foreign secretaries and foreign policy: from Crimean War to First World War'' (1987).


External links


FCDO website
{{Great Offices of State 1782 establishments in Great Britain 1968 establishments in the United Kingdom Foreign relations of the United Kingdom Ministerial offices in the United Kingdom Lists of government ministers of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...