Benjamin Disraeli was appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for a second time by Queen Victoria after William Ewart Gladstone's government was defeated in the 1874 general election. Disraeli's foreign policy was seen as immoral by Gladstone, and following the latter's Midlothian campaign, the government was heavily defeated in the 1880 general election, whereupon Gladstone formed his second government. The ailing Disraeli, by now created Earl of Beaconsfield, died in April 1881.

Cabinet

February 1874 – April 1880 OfficeNameTermFirst Lord of the TreasuryBenjamin Disraeli†February 1874 – April 1880Lord ChancellorHugh Cairns, 1st Baron Cairns§February 1874 – April 1880Lord President of the CouncilCharles Gordon-Lennox, 6th Duke of RichmondFebruary 1874 – April 1880Lord Privy SealJames Howard Harris, 3rd Earl of MalmesburyFebruary 1874 – August 1876Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of BeaconsfieldAugust 1876 – April 1878Algernon Percy, 6th Duke of NorthumberlandApril 1878 – April 1880Home SecretaryRichard A. CrossFebruary 1874 – April 1880Foreign SecretaryEdward Stanley, 15th Earl of DerbyFebruary 1874 – April 1878Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of SalisburyApril 1878 – April 1880Secretary of State for the ColoniesHenry Herbert, 4th Earl of CarnarvonFebruary 1874 – February 1878Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, 9th BaronetFebruary 1878 – April 1880Secretary of State for WarGathorne Hardy‡February 1874 – April 1878Sir Frederick StanleyApril 1878 – April 1880Secretary of State for IndiaRobert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of SalisburyFebruary 1874 – April 1878Gathorne Gathorne Hardy, 1st Viscount CranbrookApril 1878 – April 1880Chancellor of the ExchequerSir Stafford Northcote, 8th BaronetFebruary 1874 – April 1880First Lord of the AdmiraltyGeorge Ward HuntFebruary 1874 – August 1877William Henry SmithAugust 1877 – April 1880President of the Board of TradeDudley Ryder, Viscount SandonApril 1878 – April 1880Postmaster GeneralLord John MannersFebruary 1874 – April 1880Chief Secretary for IrelandSir Michael Hicks-Beach, 8th BaronetAugust 1877 – February 1878incumbent not in the cabinetLeader of the House of CommonsBenjamin DisraeliFebruary 1874 – August 1876Sir Stafford Northcote, 8th BaronetAugust 1876 – April 1880Leader of the House of LordsCharles Gordon-Lennox, 6th Duke of RichmondFebruary 1874 – August 1876Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of BeaconsfieldAugust 1876 – April 1880

† The Earl of Beaconsfield from August 1876. § The Earl Cairns from September 1878. ‡ The Viscount Cranbrook from May 1878.

Notes The Earl of Beaconsfield served as both First Lord of the Treasury and Lord Privy Seal from August 1876 to April 1878.

Changes August 1876: Beaconsfield succeeds the Earl of Malmesbury as Lord Privy Seal while remaining First Lord of the Treasury. August 1877: George Ward Hunt dies and is succeeded as First Lord of the Admiralty by William Henry Smith. Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, the Chief Secretary for Ireland, enters the cabinet. February 1878: Sir Michael Hicks-Beach succeeds the Earl of Carnarvon as Colonial Secretary. Hicks-Beach's successor as Chief Secretary for Ireland is not in the cabinet. April 1878: The Duke of Northumberland succeeds Beaconsfield as Lord Privy Seal; the latter remains First Lord of the Treasury. The Marquess of Salisbury succeeds the Earl of Derby as Foreign Secretary. Viscount Cranbrook succeeds Salisbury at the India Office. Sir Frederick Stanley succeeds Cranbrook at the War Office.

List of ministers Cabinet members are listed in bold face. Office Name Date Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury Benjamin Disraeli 20 February 187421 April 1880 Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir Stafford Northcote, 8th Baronet 21 February 1874 Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury William Hart Dyke 21 February 1874 Financial Secretary to the Treasury W. H. Smith 21 February 1874 Frederick Stanley 14 August 1877 Sir Henry Selwin-Ibbetson, 7th Baronet 2 April 1878 Junior Lords of the Treasury Arthur Stanhope, Viscount Mahon 4 March 187416 February 1876 Rowland Winn 4 March 187421 April 1880 Sir James Dalrymple-Horn-Elphinstone, 2nd Baronet 4 March 187421 April 1880 John Crichton, Viscount Crichton 16 February 187621 April 1880 Lord Chancellor Hugh Cairns, 1st Baron Cairns 21 February 1874 Lord President of the Council Charles Gordon-Lennox, 6th Duke of Richmond 21 February 1874 Lord Privy Seal James Harris, 3rd Earl of Malmesbury 21 February 1874 Benjamin Disraeli 12 August 1876 Algernon Percy, 6th Duke of Northumberland 4 February 1878 Secretary of State for the Home Department R. A. Cross 21 February 1874 Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department Sir Henry Selwin-Ibbetson, 7th Baronet 25 February 1874 Sir Matthew White Ridley, 5th Baronet 6 April 1878 Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Edward Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby 21 February 1874 Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury 2 April 1878 Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Robert Bourke 23 February 1874 Secretary of State for War Gathorne Hardy 21 February 1874 Frederick Stanley 2 April 1878 Under-Secretary of State for War George Herbert, 13th Earl of Pembroke 2 March 1874 George Cadogan, 5th Earl Cadogan 24 May 1875 William Keppel, Viscount Bury 4 March 1878 Financial Secretary to the War Office Frederick Stanley 26 February 1874 Robert Loyd-Lindsay 13 August 1877 Surveyor-General of the Ordnance Lord Eustace Cecil 26 February 1874 Secretary of State for the Colonies Henry Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon 21 February 1874 Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, 8th Baronet 4 February 1878 Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies James Lowther 25 February 1874 George Cadogan, 5th Earl Cadogan 2 March 1878 Secretary of State for India Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury 21 February 1874 Gathorne Gathorne-Hardy, 1st Viscount Cranbrook 2 April 1878 Under-Secretary of State for India Lord George Hamilton 22 February 1874 Edward Stanhope 6 April 1878 First Lord of the Admiralty George Ward Hunt 21 February 1874 W. H. Smith 14 August 1877 Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty Algernon Egerton 21 February 1874 Civil Lord of the Admiralty Sir Massey Lopes, 3rd Baronet 4 March 1874 Chief Secretary for Ireland Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, 8th Baronet 27 February 1874 James Lowther 15 February 1878 Lord Lieutenant of Ireland James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn 2 March 1874 John Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough 11 December 1876 Postmaster-General Lord John Manners 21 February 1874 President of the Board of Trade Sir Charles Adderley 21 February 1874 Dudley Ryder, Viscount Sandon 4 April 1878 Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade George Cavendish-Bentinck 2 March 1874 Edward Stanhope 18 November 1875 John Gilbert Talbot 4 April 1878 Vice-President of the Committee on Education Dudley Ryder, Viscount Sandon 2 March 1874 Lord George Hamilton 4 April 1878 Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Thomas Edward Taylor 2 March 1874 President of the Local Government Board George Sclater-Booth 21 February 1874 Parliamentary Secretary to the Local Government Board Clare Sewell Read 21 February 1874 Thomas SaltJanuary 1876 Paymaster General Stephen Cave 20 April 1874 David Plunket 24 March 1880 First Commissioner of Works Lord Henry Lennox 21 March 1874 Gerard Noel 14 August 1876 Attorney General Sir John Burgess Karslake 27 February 1874 Sir Richard Baggallay 20 April 1874 Sir John Holker 25 November 1875 Solicitor General Sir Richard Baggallay 27 February 1874 Sir John Holker 20 April 1874 Sir Hardinge Giffard 25 November 1875 Judge Advocate General Stephen Cave 7 March 1874 George Cavendish-Bentinck 24 November 1875 Lord Advocate Edward Gordon 26 February 1874 William Watson 21 July 1874 Solicitor General for Scotland John Millar 4 March 1874 William Watson 21 July 1874 John Macdonald 5 December 1876 Attorney General for Ireland John Thomas Ball 12 March 1874 Henry Ormsby 21 January 1875 George Augustus Chichester May 27 November 1875 Edward Gibson 15 February 1877 Solicitor General for Ireland Henry Ormsby 12 March 1874 David Plunkett 29 January 1875 Gerald Fitzgibbon 3 March 1877 Hugh Holmes 14 December 1878 Lord Steward of the Household Frederick Lygon, 6th Earl Beauchamp 21 February 1874 Lord Chamberlain of the Household Francis Seymour, 5th Marquess of Hertford 21 February 1874 William Edgcumbe, 4th Earl of Mount Edgcumbe 7 May 1879 Vice-Chamberlain of the Household George Barrington, 7th Viscount Barrington 2 March 1874 Master of the Horse Orlando Bridgeman, 3rd Earl of Bradford 7 March 1874 Treasurer of the Household Henry Percy, Earl Percy 2 March 1874 Lord Henry Thynne 14 December 1875 Comptroller of the Household Lord Henry Somerset 2 March 1874 Hugh Seymour, Earl of Yarmouth 4 February 1879 Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms William Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Exeter 2 March 1874 Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 19th Earl of Shrewsbury 4 February 1875 George Coventry, 9th Earl of Coventry 28 May 1877 Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard Edward Bootle-Wilbraham, 2nd Baron Skelmersdale 2 March 1874 Master of the Buckhounds Charles Yorke, 5th Earl of Hardwicke 2 March 1874 Mistress of the Robes Elizabeth Wellesley, Duchess of Wellington 2 March 1874 Lords in Waiting Charles Murray, 7th Earl of Dunmore 2 March 187421 April 1880 Robert Jocelyn, 4th Earl of Roden 2 March 18746 January 1880 Cornwallis Maude, 4th Viscount Hawarden 2 March 187421 April 1880 William Bagot, 3rd Baron Bagot 2 March 187421 April 1880 Dudley FitzGerald-de Ros, 24th Baron de Ros 2 March 187421 April 1880 William Buller-Fullerton-Elphinstone, 15th Lord Elphinstone 2 March 187421 April 1880 Thomas de Grey, 6th Baron Walsingham 2 March 187429 May 1875 Victor Child-Villiers, 7th Earl of Jersey 29 May 18754 July 1877 John Henniker-Major, 5th Baron Henniker 4 July 187721 April 1880 William Onslow, 4th Earl of Onslow 17 February 188021 April 1880 Extra Lord in Waiting Mortimer Sackville-West, 1st Baron Sackville 1 October 18761 October 1888

Notes

References C. Cook and B. Keith, British Historical Facts 1830–1900