Ministry of All the Talents

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The Ministry of All the Talents was formed by William Wyndham Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville on his appointment as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on February 11, 1806 after the death of William Pitt the Younger. With the country at war, Grenville aimed to form the strongest possible government and so included most leading politicians from almost all groupings, although the followers of Pitt, led by George Canning, refused to join. The inclusion of Charles James Fox raised eyebrows as King George III had been previously heavily hostile to Fox, but the King's willingness to put aside past enmities for the sake of national unity encouraged many others to join or support the government as well.

The Ministry of All the Talents had comparatively little success, failing to bring peace with France. It did, however, abolish the slave trade in 1807 before it broke up over the question of Catholic emancipation.

It was succeeded by the Second Portland Ministry, headed by William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland.

[edit] Members of the Cabinet, February 1806 – March 1807

• Lord Grenville — First Lord of the Treasury and Leader of the House of Lords
• Charles James Fox — Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Leader of the House of Commons
• Lord Erskine — Lord Chancellor
• Lord Fitzwilliam — Lord President of the Council
• Lord Sidmouth — Lord Privy Seal
• Lord Spencer — Secretary of State for the Home Department
• William Windham — Secretary of State for War and the Colonies
• Lord Howick — First Lord of the Admiralty
• Lord Henry Petty — Chancellor of the Exchequer
• Lord Moira — Master-General of the Ordnance
• Lord Ellenborough — Chief Justice, King's Bench

[edit] Changes

• September, 1806 — On Fox's death, Lord Howick succeeded him as Foreign Secretary and Leader of the House of Commons. Thomas Grenville succeeded Howick at the Admiralty. Lord Fitzwilliam became Minister without Portfolio, and Lord Sidmouth succeeded him as Lord President. Lord Holland succeeded Sidmouth as Lord Privy Seal.

British ministries

Clarendon, Cabal, First Danby, Privy Council, First Rochester, Godolphin, Second Rochester, Belasyse, Carmarthen/Halifax, Carmarthen, First Whig Junto, Pembroke, Coalition, Second Whig Junto, Harley, Townshend, First Stanhope/Sunderland, Second Stanhope/Sunderland, Walpole/Townshend, Walpole, Carteret, First Pelham, Bath/Granville, Second Pelham, First Newcastle, Pitt the Elder, 1757 Caretaker, Newcastle/Pitt, Newcastle/Pitt, Bute, Grenville, First Rockingham, Chatham, Grafton, North, Second Rockingham, Shelburne, Fox-North Coalition, First Pitt the Younger, Addington, Second Pitt the Younger, Ministry of All the Talents, Second Portland, Perceval, Liverpool, Canning, Goderich, First Wellington, Second Wellington, Grey, First Melbourne, Wellington Caretaker, First Peel, Second Melbourne, Third Melbourne, Second Peel, First Russell, First Derby, Aberdeen, First Palmerston, Second Derby, Second Palmerston, Second Russell, Third Derby, First Disraeli, First Gladstone, Second Disraeli, Second Gladstone, First Salisbury, Third Gladstone, Second Salisbury, Fourth Gladstone, Rosebery, Third Salisbury/Balfour, Campbell-Bannerman/First Asquith, Second Asquith, Lloyd George, Bonar Law/First Baldwin, First MacDonald, Second Baldwin, Second MacDonald, First National, Second National, Third National, Fourth National, Chamberlain War, War Coalition, Churchill Caretaker, Attlee, Third Churchill/Eden, Macmillan/Douglas-Home, First Wilson, Heath, Second Wilson, Callaghan, Thatcher, Major, Blair