Second Disraeli ministry


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

The Earl of Beaconsfield from August 1876.

§ The Earl Cairns from September 1878.

The Viscount Cranbrook from May 1878.

Changes

Cabinet members are listed in bold face.
OfficeNameDate
Prime Minister
and First Lord of the Treasury
Benjamin Disraeli20 February 187421 April 1880
Chancellor of the ExchequerSir Stafford Northcote, Bt21 February 1874
Parliamentary Secretary to the TreasuryWilliam Hart Dyke21 February 1874
Financial Secretary to the TreasuryW. H. Smith21 February 1874
Financial Secretary to the TreasuryFrederick Stanley14 August 1877
Financial Secretary to the TreasurySir Henry Selwin-Ibbetson, Bt2 April 1878
Junior Lords of the TreasuryViscount Mahon4 March 187416 February 1876
Junior Lords of the TreasuryRowland Winn4 March 187421 April 1880
Junior Lords of the TreasurySir James Dalrymple-Horne-Elphinstone, Bt4 March 187421 April 1880
Junior Lords of the TreasuryViscount Crichton16 February 187621 April 1880
Lord ChancellorThe Lord Cairns21 February 1874
Lord President of the CouncilThe Duke of Richmond21 February 1874
Lord Privy SealThe Earl of Malmesbury21 February 1874
Lord Privy SealBenjamin Disraeli12 August 1876
Lord Privy SealThe Duke of Northumberland4 February 1878
Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentR. A. Cross21 February 1874
Under-Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentSir Henry Selwin-Ibbetson, Bt25 February 1874
Under-Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentSir Matthew White Ridley, Bt6 April 1878
Secretary of State for Foreign AffairsThe Earl of Derby21 February 1874
Secretary of State for Foreign AffairsThe Marquess of Salisbury2 April 1878
Under-Secretary of State for Foreign AffairsRobert Bourke23 February 1874
Secretary of State for WarGathorne Hardy21 February 1874
Secretary of State for WarFrederick Stanley2 April 1878
Under-Secretary of State for WarThe Earl of Pembroke2 March 1874
Under-Secretary of State for WarThe Earl Cadogan24 May 1875
Under-Secretary of State for WarViscount Bury4 March 1878
Financial Secretary to the War OfficeFrederick Stanley26 February 1874
Financial Secretary to the War OfficeRobert Loyd-Lindsay13 August 1877
Surveyor-General of the OrdnanceLord Eustace Cecil26 February 1874
Secretary of State for the ColoniesThe Earl of Carnarvon21 February 1874
Secretary of State for the ColoniesSir Michael Hicks-Beach, Bt4 February 1878
Under-Secretary of State for the ColoniesJames Lowther25 February 1874
Under-Secretary of State for the ColoniesThe Earl Cadogan2 March 1878
Secretary of State for IndiaThe Marquess of Salisbury21 February 1874
Secretary of State for IndiaThe Viscount Cranbrook2 April 1878
Under-Secretary of State for IndiaLord George Hamilton22 February 1874
Under-Secretary of State for IndiaEdward Stanhope6 April 1878
First Lord of the AdmiraltyGeorge Ward Hunt21 February 1874
First Lord of the AdmiraltyW. H. Smith14 August 1877
Parliamentary Secretary to the AdmiraltyAlgernon Egerton21 February 1874
Civil Lord of the AdmiraltySir Massey Lopes, Bt4 March 1874
Chief Secretary for IrelandSir Michael Hicks-Beach, Bt27 February 1874
Chief Secretary for IrelandJames Lowther15 February 1878
Lord Lieutenant of IrelandThe Duke of Abercorn2 March 1874
Lord Lieutenant of IrelandThe Duke of Marlborough11 December 1876
Postmaster-GeneralLord John Manners21 February 1874
President of the Board of TradeSir Charles Adderley21 February 1874
President of the Board of TradeViscount Sandon4 April 1878
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of TradeGeorge Cavendish-Bentinck2 March 1874
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of TradeEdward Stanhope18 November 1875
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of TradeJohn Gilbert Talbot4 April 1878
Vice-President of the Committee on EducationViscount Sandon2 March 1874
Vice-President of the Committee on EducationLord George Hamilton4 April 1878
Chancellor of the Duchy of LancasterThomas Edward Taylor2 March 1874
President of the Local Government BoardGeorge Sclater-Booth21 February 1874
Parliamentary Secretary to the Local Government BoardClare Sewell Read21 February 1874
Parliamentary Secretary to the Local Government BoardThomas SaltJanuary 1876
Paymaster-GeneralStephen Cave20 April 1874
Paymaster-GeneralDavid Plunket24 March 1880
First Commissioner of WorksLord Henry Lennox21 March 1874
First Commissioner of WorksGerard Noel14 August 1876
Attorney GeneralSir John Burgess Karslake27 February 1874
Attorney GeneralSir Richard Baggallay20 April 1874
Attorney GeneralSir John Holker25 November 1875
Solicitor GeneralSir Richard Baggallay27 February 1874
Solicitor GeneralSir John Holker20 April 1874
Solicitor GeneralSir Hardinge Giffard25 November 1875
Judge Advocate GeneralStephen Cave7 March 1874
Judge Advocate GeneralGeorge Cavendish-Bentinck24 November 1875
Lord AdvocateEdward Gordon26 February 1874
Lord AdvocateWilliam Watson21 July 1874
Solicitor General for ScotlandJohn Millar4 March 1874
Solicitor General for ScotlandWilliam Watson21 July 1874
Solicitor General for ScotlandJohn Macdonald5 December 1876
Attorney General for IrelandJohn Thomas Ball12 March 1874
Attorney General for IrelandHenry Ormsby21 January 1875
Attorney General for IrelandGeorge Augustus Chichester May27 November 1875
Attorney General for IrelandEdward Gibson15 February 1877
Solicitor General for IrelandHenry Ormsby12 March 1874
Solicitor General for IrelandDavid Plunkett29 January 1875
Solicitor General for IrelandGerald Fitzgibbon3 March 1877
Solicitor General for IrelandHugh Holmes14 December 1878
Lord Steward of the HouseholdThe Earl Beauchamp21 February 1874
Lord Chamberlain of the HouseholdThe Marquess of Hertford21 February 1874
Lord Chamberlain of the HouseholdThe Earl of Mount Edgcumbe7 May 1879
Vice-Chamberlain of the HouseholdThe Viscount Barrington2 March 1874
Master of the HorseThe Earl of Bradford7 March 1874
Treasurer of the HouseholdEarl Percy2 March 1874
Treasurer of the HouseholdLord Henry Thynne14 December 1875
Comptroller of the HouseholdLord Henry Somerset2 March 1874
Comptroller of the HouseholdEarl of Yarmouth4 February 1879
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-ArmsThe Marquess of Exeter2 March 1874
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-ArmsThe Earl of Shrewsbury4 February 1875
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-ArmsThe Earl of Coventry28 May 1877
Captain of the Yeomen of the GuardThe Lord Skelmersdale2 March 1874
Master of the BuckhoundsThe Earl of Hardwicke2 March 1874
Mistress of the RobesThe Duchess of Wellington2 March 1874
Lords in WaitingThe Earl of Dunmore2 March 187421 April 1880
Lords in WaitingThe Earl of Roden2 March 18746 January 1880
Lords in WaitingThe Viscount Hawarden2 March 187421 April 1880
Lords in WaitingThe Lord Bagot2 March 187421 April 1880
Lords in WaitingThe Lord de Ros2 March 187421 April 1880
Lords in WaitingThe Lord Elphinstone2 March 187421 April 1880
Lords in WaitingThe Lord Walsingham2 March 187429 May 1875
Lords in WaitingThe Earl of Jersey29 May 18754 July 1877
Lords in WaitingThe Lord Henniker4 July 187721 April 1880
Lords in WaitingThe Earl of Onslow17 February 188021 April 1880
Extra Lord in WaitingThe Lord Sackville1 October 18761 October 1888

;Notes