Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs - Definition and Overview

The position of Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs was created in the United Kingdom's governmental reorganization of 1782, in which the Northern and Southern Departments became the Home and Foreign Offices. In 1968, the Foreign Office merged with the Commonwealth Office, to form the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. For holders of this Secretaryship of State, see Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1782-1968)

• Charles James Fox (March 27, 1782 - July 5, 1782) (Resigned)
• Thomas Robinson, 2nd Baron Grantham (July 13, 1782 - April 2, 1783)
• Charles James Fox (April 2, 1783 - December 19, 1783)
• George Nugent-Temple-Grenville, 3rd Earl Temple (December 19, 1783 - December 23, 1783)
• Francis Godolphin Osborne, 5th Duke of Leeds (December 23, 1783 - May 1791) (Resigned)
• William Wyndham Grenville, 1st Lord Grenville (June 8, 1791 - February 20, 1801)
• Robert Banks Jenkinson, Lord Hawkesbury (February 20, 1801 - May 14, 1804)
• Dudley Ryder, 2nd Baron Harrowby (May 14, 1804 - January 11, 1805)
• Henry Phipps, 2nd Baron Mulgrave (January 11, 1805 - February 7, 1806)
• Charles James Fox (February 7, 1806 - September 13, 1806) (Died in office)
• Charles Grey, Viscount Howick (September 24, 1806 - March 25, 1807)
• George Canning (March 25, 1807 - October 11, 1809) (Resigned)
• Henry Bathurst, 3rd Earl Bathurst (October 11, 1809 - December 6, 1809)
• Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley (December 6, 1809 - March 4, 1812)
• Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh (March 4, 1812 - August 12, 1822) (Died in office)
• George Canning (September 16, 1822 - April 30, 1827)
• John William Ward, 1st Earl of Dudley (April 30, 1827 - June 2, 1828)
• George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen (June 2, 1828 - November 22, 1830)
• Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston (November 22, 1830 - November 15, 1834)
• Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (November 15, 1834 - April 18, 1835)
• Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston (April 18, 1835 - September 2, 1841)
• George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen (September 2, 1841 - July 6, 1846)
• Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston (July 6, 1846 - December 26, 1851)
• Granville George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville (December 26, 1851 - February 27, 1852)
• James Howard Harris, 3rd Earl of Malmesbury (February 27, 1852 - December 28, 1852)
• Lord John Russell (December 28, 1852 - February 21, 1853)
• George William Frederick Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon (February 21, 1853 - February 26, 1858)
• James Howard Harris, 3rd Earl of Malmesbury (February 26, 1858 - June 18, 1859)
• John Russell, 1st Earl Russell (June 18, 1859 - November 3, 1865)
• George William Frederick Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon (November 3, 1865 - July 6, 1866)
• Edward Henry Stanley, Lord Stanley (July 6, 1866 - December 9, 1868)
• George William Frederick Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon (December 9, 1868 - July 6, 1870)
• Granville George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville (July 6, 1870 - February 21, 1874)
• Edward Henry Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby (February 21, 1874 - April 2, 1878)
• Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (April 2, 1878 - April 28, 1880)
• Granville George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville (April 28, 1880 - June 24, 1885)
• Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (June 24, 1885 - February 6, 1886)
• Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery (February 6, 1886 - August 3, 1886)
• Stafford Henry Northcote, 1st Earl of Iddesleigh (August 3, 1886 - January 12, 1887) (Resigned)
• Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (January 14, 1887 - August 11, 1892)
• Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery (August 18, 1892 - March 11, 1894)
• John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley (March 11, 1894 - June 21, 1895)
• Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (June 29, 1895 - November 12, 1900)
• Henry Charles Keith Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne (November 12, 1900 - December 4, 1905)
• Sir Edward Grey (December 10, 1905 - December 10, 1916)
• Arthur James Balfour (December 10, 1916 - October 23, 1919)
• George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon (October 23, 1919 - January 22, 1924)
• Ramsay MacDonald (January 22, 1924 - November 3, 1924)
• Sir Austen Chamberlain (November 6, 1924 - June 4, 1929)
• Arthur Henderson (June 7, 1929 - August 24, 1931)
• Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading (August 25, 1931 - November 5, 1931)
• Sir John Allsebrook Simon (November 5, 1931 - June 7, 1935)
• Sir Samuel Hoare (June 7, 1935 - December 18, 1935) (Resigned)
• Anthony Eden (December 22, 1935 - February 20, 1938) (Resigned)
• Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 3rd Viscount Halifax (February 21, 1938 - December 22, 1940)
• Anthony Eden (December 22, 1940 - July 26, 1945)
• Ernest Bevin (July 27, 1945 - March 9, 1951)
• Herbert Stanley Morrison (March 9, 1951 - October 26, 1951)
• Sir Anthony Eden (October 28, 1951 - April 7, 1955)
• Harold Macmillan (April 7, 1955 - December 20, 1955)
• Selwyn Lloyd (December 20, 1955 - July 27, 1960)
• Alexander Douglas-Home, 14th Earl of Home (July 27, 1960 - October 20, 1963)
• Rab Butler (October 20, 1963 - October 16, 1964)
• Patrick Gordon Walker (October 16, 1964 - January 22, 1965) (Defeated for election to the House of Commons)
• Michael Stewart (January 22, 1965 - August 11, 1966)
• George Brown (August 11, 1966 - March 16, 1968) (Resigned)
• Michael Stewart (March 16, 1968 - October 17, 1968)

See also: Foreign minister