Robert Walpole

Sir Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford was a British politician. He is regarded by many as the first de facto Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (then called Great Britain). The position of prime minister was not actually official at that time.

The Rt Hon. Sir Robert Walpole
Prime Minister of Great Britain
In office 4 April 1721 – 11 February 1742
Preceded by	Office Created
Succeeded by	The Earl of Wilmington
Chancellor of the Exchequer
In office 12 October 1715 – 15 April 1717 3 April 1721-12 February 1742
Preceded by	Richard Onslow John Pratt
Succeeded by	James Stanhope Samuel Sandys
Personal details
Born	(1676-08-26)26 August 1676 Houghton, Norfolk
Died	18 March 1745(1745-03-18) (aged 68) London
Political party	Whig

Walpole He was born in Houghton, Norfolk on 26 August 1676. He died on 18 March 1745. Historians think he became England's first Prime Minister in 1721. He was then Prime Minister for a longer time than anyone who came after him.^[1] This long time is sometimes called "the robinocracy" (Robin is a common version of Robert).

Robert Walpole

Although the exact dates of Walpole's dominance are not entirely clear, the period 1721–1742 is often used. He dominated the Walpole–Townshend ministry, as well as the subsequent Walpole ministry, and holds the record as the longest-serving British prime minister in history.

W.A. Speck wrote that Walpole's uninterrupted run of 20 years as Prime Minister "is rightly regarded as one of the major feats of British political history... Explanations are usually offered in terms of his expert handling of the political system after 1720, [and] his unique blending of the surviving powers of the crown with the increasing influence of the Commons".^[2]