Cultural depictions of prime ministers of the United Kingdom

Cultural depictions of prime ministers of the United Kingdom have become commonplace since the term's first use in 1905. However, they have been applied to prime ministers who were in office before the first use of the term. They are listed here chronologically from the date of first appointment as prime minister.

William Pitt the Younger

Robert Donat in The Young Mr. Pitt (1942) Paul Rogers in Beau Brummell (1954) David Collings in Prince Regent (1979) Number 10 depicts him as prime minister, played by Jeremy Brett Simon Osborne in Blackadder the Third where he is depicted anachronistically as a teenager. A younger brother is also mentioned, who Blackadder refers sarcastically to as "William Pitt the Even Younger", "Pitt the Toddler", "Pitt the Embryo", and "Pitt the Gleam in the Milkman's Eye". Benedict Cumberbatch in the 2006 biographical drama Amazing Grace (2006).

Lord Liverpool Lord Liverpool was the British prime minister in office when Nathan Mayer Rothschild was active as a banker in London, and was played by Gilbert Emery in the film The House of Rothschild (1934). He was also played by Andre van Gyseghem in the TV series Prince Regent (1979).

George Canning Canning is depicted in James Gillray's British Tars Towing the Danish Fleet into Harbour (1807) John Mills in Lady Caroline Lamb (1972) Murray Head in Prince Regent (1979)

Duke of Wellington

As prime minister he is portrayed by Jeremy Young in the 1993 TV series Scarlet and Black.

Lord Melbourne Melbourne has been portrayed in the following film and television productions: H. B. Warner in Victoria the Great (1937) Frederick Leister in The Prime Minister (1941) Jon Finch in Lady Caroline Lamb (1972) Richard Mathews in Churchill's People (1975) Joseph O'Conor in Edward the Seventh (1975) Nigel Hawthorne in Victoria & Albert (TV serial) (2001) Paul Bettany in The Young Victoria (2009) Rufus Sewell in Victoria (2016–2019)

Robert Peel Michael Barrington in Edward the Seventh (1975) Tom Ward in the TV series The Frankenstein Chronicles (he is depicted while he was still the Home Secretary). Michael Maloney in The Young Victoria (2009) Nigel Lindsay in Victoria (2016–2017)

Lord Palmerston Palmerston has been portrayed in the following film and television productions: Wallace Bosco in Balaclava (1928) Felix Aylmer in: Victoria the Great (1937) Sixty Glorious Years (1938) The Lady with a Lamp (1951) Gilbert Emery in A Dispatch from Reuter's (1940) André Morell in Edward the Seventh (1975) James Fox in 1864 (2014) Laurence Fox in Victoria (2016–2019)

Lord Derby Frank Cellier in Sixty Glorious Years (1938) Owen Nares in The Prime Minister (1941) David Wood in Disraeli (1978)

Benjamin Disraeli

William Gladstone Gladstone has been portrayed in the following film and television productions: Montagu Love in Parnell (1937) Arthur Young in: Victoria the Great (1937) The Lady with a Lamp (1951) Malcolm Keen in Sixty Glorious Years (1938) Stephen Murray in The Prime Minister (1941) Gordon Richards in The Imperfect Lady (1947) Ralph Richardson in Khartoum (1966) Graham Chapman in Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969) Willoughby Gray in Young Winston (1972) David Steuart in Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill (1974) Michael Hordern in Edward the Seventh (1975) John Carlisle in Disraeli (1978) John Phillips in Lillie (1978) Roland Culver in The Life and Times of David Lloyd George (1981) Denis Quilley in Number 10 (1983)

Lord Salisbury Salisbury has been portrayed in the following film and television productions: Harvey Braban in Sixty Glorious Years (1938) Leslie Perrins in The Prime Minister (1941) Laurence Naismith in Young Winston (1972) Llewellyn Rees in Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill (1974) Hugh Dickson in Churchill's People (1975) Richard Vernon in Edward the Seventh (1975) John Gregg in Disraeli (1978) John Gielgud in Murder by Decree (1979) John Forbes-Robertson in Number 10 (1983) David Swift in Jack the Ripper (1988) David Ryall in Around the World in 80 Days (2004) Michael Gambon in Victoria & Abdul (2017)

A. J. Balfour Balfour was the subject of two parody novels based on Alice in Wonderland, Clara in Blunderland (1902) and Lost in Blunderland (1903), which appeared under the pseudonym Caroline Lewis; one of the co-authors was Harold Begbie.

He was portrayed on television in: Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill (1974) by Adrian Ropes. episodes 10–12 of Edward the Seventh (1975) by Lyndon Brook.

Henry Campbell-Bannerman Campbell-Bannerman was portrayed by Geoffrey Bayldon in episodes 12 and 13 of TV series Edward the Seventh (1975).

H. H. Asquith Asquith was portrayed in the following TV series: Basil Dignam in Edward the Seventh (episode 13) (1975) David Markham in The Life and Times of David Lloyd George (1981) David Langton depicts him as prime minister in Number 10 (1983) Frank Finlay in The Lost Prince (2003).

David Lloyd George

"Lloyd George Knew My Father" is a well-known ditty, with the lyrics "Lloyd George knew my father/Father knew Lloyd George" repeated incessantly to the tune of "Onward, Christian Soldiers". The origin and meaning of the song are disputed. One theory is that it references the peerages-for-cash scandal. A feature film, The Life Story of David Lloyd George, was made in 1918 by Ideal Films, suppressed, rediscovered in 1994, and first shown in 1996. Norman Page played the role of Lloyd George. In the film British Agent (1934), Lloyd George is portrayed by George C. Pearce. In the film Royal Cavalcade (1935), Lloyd George is portrayed by Esme Percy. In the film Wilson (1944), Lloyd George is portrayed by Clifford Brooke. In 1946 the BBC Home Service broadcast Man of the People, a radio portrait of Lloyd George, written and directed by P. H. Burton and with Clifford Evans as Lloyd George. Soviet film Moscow — Genoa (1964) features Lloyd George as a character, portrayed by Vladimir Belokurov. Richard Attenborough's film Young Winston (1972) features Lloyd George as a character, portrayed by Anthony Hopkins. The Edwardians (1972–1973 miniseries) also features Anthony Hopkins as Lloyd George. In the television series Edward the Seventh (1975), Lloyd George is portrayed by Geoffrey Beevers. A television series The Life and Times of David Lloyd George was made in 1981. Philip Madoc played Lloyd George. In the television series Number 10 (1983), Lloyd George is portrayed by John Stride. In the Australian Nine Network TV mini-series Anzacs (1985), Lloyd-George is portrayed by Rhys McConnochie. In the television film A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia (1990), Lloyd George is portrayed by Bernard Lloyd. In the Irish historical television film The Treaty (1991), Lloyd George is portrayed by Ian Bannen. In the television series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (1992–93), Lloyd George is portrayed by Michael Kitchen. In the television series Mosley (1998), Lloyd George is portrayed by Windsor Davies. In the television film The Lost Prince (2003), Lloyd George is portrayed by Ron Cook. In the film Suffragette (2015), Lloyd George is portrayed by Adrian Schiller. In Sue Limb’s BBC Radio 4 comedy sitcom Gloomsbury (Series 4, 2017), Lloyd George is parodied as the libidinous Llewd George, played by John Sessions. In the film Mr. Jones (2019), Lloyd George is portrayed by Kenneth Cranham.

Andrew Bonar Law

Bonar Law is briefly mentioned several times in Ken Follett's historical novel Fall of Giants (Book One of the Century Trilogy). Bonar Law plays a supporting, if off-screen, role in Upstairs, Downstairs. He is even said to have recommended family patriarch, Richard Bellamy, to be offered a peerage. His name is referenced by Julian and Sandy in Round the Horne, in a sketch called "Bona Law". Rebecca West's novel Sunflower features a portrait of Bonar Law as the statesman Hurrell.Literary London, books.google.co.uk; accessed 2 April 2017. Arnold Bennett's novel Lord Raingo features Bonar Law as the chancellor of the exchequer Hasper Clews. Lord Dunsany gently satirised the quiet way in which government decisions are made which affect many (but with little input from the many) in his short story The Pearly Beach. It begins "We couldn't remember, any of us at the Club, who it was that first invented the twopenny stamp on cheques. There were eight or nine of us there, and not one of us could put a name to him. Of course, a lot of us knew, but we'd all forgotten it. And that started us talking of the tricks memory plays..." The name they were groping for was that of Bonar Law. In the 1981 TV series The Life and Times of David Lloyd George Bonar Law appears in two episodes and is played by Fulton Mackay.

Stanley Baldwin

Baldwin has been portrayed in the following film and television productions: The Forsyte Saga (1967), played by Ralph Michael The Woman I Love (1972), played by Robert Douglas The Gathering Storm (1974), played by Thorley Walters Days of Hope (1975), played by Brian Hayes Edward & Mrs Simpson (1978), played by David Waller The Life and Times of David Lloyd George (1981), played by Paul Curran Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years (1981), played by Peter Barkworth Reilly, Ace of Spies (1983), played by Donald Morley The Woman He Loved (1988), played by David Waller You Rang, M'Lord? (1991), played by Patrick Blackwell The Gathering Storm (2002), played by Derek Jacobi Wallis & Edward (2005), played by Richard Johnson The King's Speech (2010), played by Anthony Andrews W.E. (2011), played by Geoffrey Palmer

The character of ‘’Stanley’’ (referred to in his only book appearance as ‘’No. 2’’) from the British children’s book series ‘The Railway Series’’, a Baldwin Class 10-12-D locomotive, was named after Baldwin.

Ramsay MacDonald The main villain of the 1907 novel Lord of the World by Robert Hugh Benson was partly based on MacDonald. In Howard Spring's 1940 novel Fame is the Spur, later made into a 1947 film and a 1982 TV adaptation, the lead character Hamer Shawcross loosely resembles MacDonald; it is the story of a working-class Labour activist who grows into an establishment politician.Fame is the Spur Britmovie He is also mentioned and featured in Noël Coward's 1944 film This Happy Breed. In the 1981 television series Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years, MacDonald appears as a significant character in the early episodes and is played by Robert James. In the 1982 film Gandhi, he is portrayed by Terrence Hardiman. In Graham Greene's 1934 novel It's a Battlefield, MacDonald's name repeatedly appears in newspapers and on billboards in reference to a visit to Lossiemouth. In the twenty-fourth episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus, original footage of MacDonald entering No. 10 Downing Street is followed by a black-and-white film of him (played by Michael Palin) doing a striptease, revealing garter belt, suspender and stockings. In the 1983 television series Number 10, he was portrayed by Ian Richardson. In Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow, Old Brigadier Ernest Pudding during his initial interwar retirement "started in on a mammoth work entitled Things That Can Happen in European Politics. Begin, of course, with England. 'First,' he wrote, 'Bereshith, as it were: Ramsay MacDonald can die.' By the time he went through resulting party alignments and possible permutations of cabinet posts, Ramsay MacDonald had died." In the 1998 television series Mosley, he was portrayed by Ralph Riach. In the YouTube analog horror series War of the Worlds 1934, MacDonald gives a speech in the eleventh episode addressing the ongoing Martian invasion. He is voiced by the series' creator.

Neville Chamberlain

Chamberlain has been portrayed in the following films and television productions: E. G. Miller in Citizen Kane (1941) Robin Bailey in The Gathering Storm (1974) Edward Jewesbury in Churchill and the Generals (1979) Eric Porter in Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years (1981) Michael Aldridge in Countdown to War (1989)