Archibald Philip Primrose 5th earl of Rosebery

Archibald Philip Primrose Rosebery, 5th earl of , 1847-1929, British statesman. He succeeded his grandfather as earl in 1868. A Liberal, Rosebery was undersecretary for home affairs (1881-83), entered the cabinet as lord privy seal (1885), and served (1886, 1892-94) as foreign secretary. His imperialist views brought him into frequent conflict with the prime minister, William Gladstone, but he was able to secure the establishment of a British protectorate in Uganda. When Gladstone retired in 1894, it was expected that Sir William Harcourt would succeed him, but Queen Victoria called on Rosebery to become prime minister. That caused a split in the Liberal party, and Rosebery was forced to resign in 1895. He became the leader of the Liberal Imperialist division of the party, but retired from politics in 1905 when Henry Campbell-Bannerman was chosen as Liberal prime minister. He wrote a number of historical monographs, including William Pitt (1891), Napoleon: The Last Phase (1900), and Chatham (1910).

Bibliography: See biographies by his son-in-law, the 1st marquess of Crewe (1931), and R. R. James (1963).

Rosebery, Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of (1847–1929) British Liberal statesman, Prime Minister (1894–95). He succeeded Gladstone as Premier after the latter's retirement and subsequently alienated Liberal supporters as a result of his imperialist loyalties during the Second Boer War (1899–1902).

Rosebery, Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of (1847–1929) British statesman, Liberal prime minister (1894–95). Rosebery was foreign secretary (1886, 1892–94) under Gladstone. When Gladstone retired, Queen Victoria called on Rosebery to become prime minister. A controversial figure, his appointment caused a split in the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party won the ensuing election. Rosebery became leader of the imperialist wing of the Liberal Party.

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