William Ewart Gladstone (1809-1898) was four times Prime Minister to Queen Victoria. For many years he was Benjamin Disraeli's main political rival and was well disliked by the Queen. Disraeli, with his noted wit took Gladstone's nickname of G.O.M. (Grand Old Man) to mean 'God's Only Mistake"

Early in his career a member of the Conservative Party he later joined the Liberal Party. He championed Irish home rule unsuccessfully and was noted as an enthusiastic political reformer. He entered into his second term as Prime Minister after the fall of Disraeli's government in the wake of the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879.

His second term was marred by the uprising in the Sudan and his government's failure to relieve General Gordon who was besieged in Khartoum. A relief column was eventually dispatched but the city fell and Gordon was killed before it arrived. The public inverted his G.O.M nickname to M.O.G. (Murderer of Gordon) and Wolseley who led the Gordon Relief Expedition referred to him as the above "Old Imposter" in his journal.

 

When he resigned as Prime Minister in 1885 he declined an Earldom that was offered him by Queen Victoria.


Prime Minister -

1868 -1874
1880 -1885
1886
1892-1894

Cabinet Photograph
Elliott & Fry - Photographer
55 Baker Street, London, W., England
c. 1880's