The (colloquially called the '''Foreign Secretary''') is a member of the British Government responsible for relations with foreign countries, heading the Foreign And Commonwealth Office (often called simply the Foreign Office). The holder is a member of the Cabinet , and the position is considered one of the Great Offices Of State .
This position came into existence in 1968 with the merger of the functions of and Secretary Of State For Commonwealth Affairs , and their associated departments, into a single Department of State.
Chevening is an Official Residence of the Secretary of State.
The position of was created in the United Kingdom 's governmental reorganization of 1782 , in which the Northern and Southern Department s became the Home and Foreign Offices.
- Charles James Fox ( March 27 , 1782 - July 5 , 1782 ) (Resigned)
- Thomas Robinson, 2nd Baron Grantham ( July 13 , 1782 - April 2 , 1783 )
- Charles James Fox ( April 2 , 1783 - December 19 , 1783 )
- George Nugent-Temple-Grenville, 3rd Earl Temple ( December 19 , 1783 - December 23 , 1783 )
- Francis Godolphin Osborne, 5th Duke Of Leeds ( December 23 , 1783 - May 1791 ) (Resigned)
- William Wyndham Grenville, 1st Lord Grenville ( June 8 , 1791 - February 20 , 1801 )
- Robert Banks Jenkinson, Lord Hawkesbury ( February 20 , 1801 - May 14 , 1804 )
- Dudley Ryder, 2nd Baron Harrowby ( May 14 , 1804 - January 11 , 1805 )
- Henry Phipps, 2nd Baron Mulgrave ( January 11 , 1805 - February 7 , 1806 )
- Charles James Fox ( February 7 , 1806 - September 13 , 1806 ) (Died in office)
- Charles Grey, Viscount Howick ( September 24 , 1806 - March 25 , 1807 )
- George Canning ( March 25 , 1807 - October 11 , 1809 ) (Resigned)
- Henry Bathurst, 3rd Earl Bathurst ( October 11 , 1809 - December 6 , 1809 )
- Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley ( December 6 , 1809 - March 4 , 1812 )
- Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh ( March 4 , 1812 - August 12 , 1822 ) (Died in office)
- George Canning ( September 16 , 1822 - April 30 , 1827 )
- John William Ward, 1st Earl Of Dudley ( April 30 , 1827 - June 2 , 1828 )
- George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl Of Aberdeen ( June 2 , 1828 - November 22 , 1830 )
- Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston ( November 22 , 1830 - November 15 , 1834 )
- Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke Of Wellington ( November 15 , 1834 - April 18 , 1835 )
- Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston ( April 18 , 1835 - September 2 , 1841 )
- George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl Of Aberdeen ( September 2 , 1841 - July 6 , 1846 )
- Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston ( July 6 , 1846 - December 26 , 1851 )
- Granville George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville ( December 26 , 1851 - February 27 , 1852 )
- James Howard Harris, 3rd Earl Of Malmesbury ( February 27 , 1852 - December 28 , 1852 )
- Lord John Russell ( December 28 , 1852 - February 21 , 1853 )
- George William Frederick Villiers, 4th Earl Of Clarendon ( February 21 , 1853 - February 26 , 1858 )
- James Howard Harris, 3rd Earl Of Malmesbury ( February 26 , 1858 - June 18 , 1859 )
- John Russell, 1st Earl Russell ( June 18 , 1859 - November 3 , 1865 )
- George William Frederick Villiers, 4th Earl Of Clarendon ( November 3 , 1865 - July 6 , 1866 )
- Edward Henry Stanley, Lord Stanley ( July 6 , 1866 - December 9 , 1868 )
- George William Frederick Villiers, 4th Earl Of Clarendon ( December 9 , 1868 - July 6 , 1870 )
- Granville George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville ( July 6 , 1870 - February 21 , 1874 )
- Edward Henry Stanley, 15th Earl Of Derby ( February 21 , 1874 - April 2 , 1878 )
- Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess Of Salisbury ( April 2 , 1878 - April 28 , 1880 )
- Granville George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville ( April 28 , 1880 - June 24 , 1885 )
- Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess Of Salisbury ( June 24 , 1885 - February 6 , 1886 )
- Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl Of Rosebery ( February 6 , 1886 - August 3 , 1886 )
- Stafford Henry Northcote, 1st Earl Of Iddesleigh ( August 3 , 1886 - January 12 , 1887 ) (died in office)
- Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess Of Salisbury ( January 14 , 1887 - August 11 , 1892 )
- Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl Of Rosebery ( August 18 , 1892 - March 11 , 1894 )
- John Wodehouse, 1st Earl Of Kimberley ( March 11 , 1894 - June 21 , 1895 )
- Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess Of Salisbury ( June 29 , 1895 - November 12 , 1900 )
- Henry Charles Keith Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess Of Lansdowne ( November 12 , 1900 - December 4 , 1905 )
- Sir Edward Grey ( December 10 , 1905 - December 10 , 1916 )
- Arthur James Balfour ( December 10 , 1916 - October 23 , 1919 )
- George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon ( October 23 , 1919 - January 22 , 1924 )
- Ramsay MacDonald ( January 22 , 1924 - November 3 , 1924 )
- Sir Austen Chamberlain ( November 6 , 1924 - June 4 , 1929 )
- Arthur Henderson ( June 7 , 1929 - August 24 , 1931 )
- Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess Of Reading ( August 25 , 1931 - November 5 , 1931 )
- Sir John Allsebrook Simon ( November 5 , 1931 - June 7 , 1935 )
- Sir Samuel Hoare ( June 7 , 1935 - December 18 , 1935 ) (Resigned)
- 1938 , 1940 - 1945 and 1951 - 1955 ]]
- Anthony Eden ( December 22 , 1935 - February 20 , 1938 ) (Resigned)
- Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 3rd Viscount Halifax ( February 21 , 1938 - December 22 , 1940 )
- Anthony Eden ( December 22 , 1940 - July 26 , 1945 )
- Ernest Bevin ( July 27 , 1945 - March 9 , 1951 )
- Herbert Stanley Morrison ( March 9 , 1951 - October 26 , 1951 )
- Sir Anthony Eden ( October 28 , 1951 - April 7 , 1955 )
- Harold Macmillan ( April 7 , 1955 - December 20 , 1955 )
- Selwyn Lloyd ( December 20 , 1955 - July 27 , 1960 )
- Alexander Douglas-Home, 14th Earl Of Home ( July 27 , 1960 - October 20 , 1963 )
- Rab Butler ( October 20 , 1963 - October 16 , 1964 )
- Patrick Gordon Walker ( October 16 , 1964 - January 22 , 1965 ) (Defeated for election to the House of Commons)
- Michael Stewart ( January 22 , 1965 - August 11 , 1966 )
- George Brown ( August 11 , 1966 - March 16 , 1968 ) (Resigned)
- Michael Stewart ( March 16 , 1968 - October 17 , 1968 )
- Michael Stewart ( October 17 , 1968 - June 19 , 1970 )
- Sir Alec Douglas-Home ( June 20 , 1970 - March 4 , 1974 )
- James Callaghan ( March 5 , 1974 - April 8 , 1976 )
- Anthony Crosland ( April 8 , 1976 - February 19 , 1977 ) (died in office)
- Dr David Owen ( February 22 , 1977 - May 4 , 1979 )
- Lord Carrington ( May 5 , 1979 - April 5 , 1982 ) (resigned)
- Francis Pym ( April 6 , 1982 - June 11 , 1983 )
- Sir Geoffrey Howe ( June 11 , 1983 - July 24 , 1989 )
- John Major ( July 24 , 1989 - October 26 , 1989 )
- Douglas Hurd ( October 26 , 1989 - July 5 , 1995 )
- Malcolm Rifkind ( July 5 , 1995 - May 2 , 1997 )
- Robin Cook ( May 2 , 1997 - June 8 , 2001 )
- Jack Straw ( June 8 , 2001 -)
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