Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey
The Earl Grey | |
|---|---|
Portrait of Earl Grey by Thomas Phillips (1820) | |
| Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Leader of the House of Lords | |
| In office 22 November 1830 – 9 July 1834 | |
| Monarch | William IV |
| Preceded by | The Duke of Wellington |
| Succeeded by | The Viscount Melbourne |
| Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 24 September 1806 – 25 March 1807 | |
| Prime Minister | The Lord Grenville |
| Preceded by | Charles James Fox |
| Succeeded by | George Canning |
| Leader of the House of Commons | |
| In office 24 September 1806 – 31 March 1807 | |
| Prime Minister | The Lord Grenville |
| Preceded by | Charles James Fox |
| Succeeded by | Spencer Perceval |
| First Lord of the Admiralty | |
| In office 11 February 1806 – 24 September 1806 | |
| Prime Minister | The Lord Grenville |
| Preceded by | The Lord Barham |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Grenville |
| Member of the House of Lords | |
| Hereditary peerage 15 November 1807 – 17 July 1845 | |
| Preceded by | The 1st Earl Grey |
| Succeeded by | The 3rd Earl Grey |
| Member of Parliament for Northumberland | |
| In office 14 September 1786 – 14 November 1807 | |
| Preceded by | Lord Algernon Percy |
| Succeeded by | Earl Percy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 13 March 1764 |
| Died | 17 July 1845 (aged 81) Howick, Northumberland, England |
| Party | Whig |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 16, including Henry, Charles, Frederick, and Eliza Courtney (illegitimate) |
| Parent |
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| Relatives | House of Grey (family) |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge |
| Signature | |
Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey (13 March 1764 – 17 July 1845) was a British Whig politician who served as prime minister of the United Kingdom from 1830 to 1834. His government enacted the Reform Acts of 1832, which expanded the electorate in the United Kingdom, and the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, which abolished slavery in the British Empire.
Born into a prominent family in Northumberland, Grey was educated at Eton College and the University of Cambridge. While travelling in Europe on a Grand Tour, his uncle secured his election as member of parliament (MP) for Northumberland in a 1786 by-election. Grey joined Whig circles in London and was a long-time leader of the reform movement. He briefly served as First Lord of the Admiralty and as foreign secretary in the Ministry of All the Talents from 1806 to 1807 and then remained in opposition for nearly 24 years. He was asked to form a ministry by William IV in 1830, following the resignation of Wellington.
As prime minister, Grey oversaw the passage of the Reform Act 1832, which redistributed parliamentary seats and standardised and extended the franchise in England and Wales. It was accompanied by the Scottish Reform Act and the Irish Reform Act of the same year. Grey's government also enacted the Slavery Abolition Act 1833, which outlawed the practice of slavery in the British Empire. Grey resigned as prime minister in 1834 following cabinet disagreements over policy in Ireland, and he subsequently retired from politics.
After an affair with the married Duchess of Devonshire, which resulted in a daughter who was brought up by Grey's parents, Grey married Mary Ponsonby and had fifteen children. His name is associated with Earl Grey tea.