Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, KG, GCB, PC (20 October 1784 – 18 October 1865), known popularly as Lord Palmerston, was a British statesman who served twice as Prime Minister in the mid-19th century. Popularly nicknamed "The Mongoose", he was in government office almost continuously from 1807 until his death in 1865, beginning his parliamentary career as a Tory and concluding it as a Liberal.
He is best remembered for his direction of British foreign policy through a period when Britain was at the height of its power, serving terms as both Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister. Some of his aggressive actions, now sometimes termed liberal interventionist, were greatly controversial at the time, and remain so today. He was the most recent British Prime Minister to die in office.
Read more about Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston: Early Life: 1784–1806, Early Political Career: 1806–1809, Secretary At War: 1809–1828, Opposition: 1828–1830, Foreign Secretary: 1830–1841, Marriage, Opposition: 1841–46, Home Secretary: 1852–1855, Prime Minister: 1855–1858, Opposition: 1858–1859, Prime Minister: 1859–1865, Death, Legacy, Cultural References, Lord Palmerston's First Cabinet, February 1855 - February 1858, Lord Palmerston's Second Cabinet, June 1859 - October 1865
Famous quotes containing the words henry and/or viscount:
“How happy is he born and taught
That serveth not another’s will;
Whose armour is his honest thought,
And simple truth his utmost skill!”
—Sir Henry Wotton (1568–1639)
“The whole duty of government is to prevent crime and to preserve contracts.”
—William Lamb Melbourne, 2nd Viscount (1779–1848)