Born April 21, 1926, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary popularly addressed Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96 in Balmoral on Thursday, September 8.
Having reigned for over seven decades – 70 years and 214 days – Queen Elizabeth was the longest-serving British monarch. During her reign, the Queen saw and had dealings with 15 different prime ministers who served Great Britain.
Officially coronated on June 2, 1953, the Queen took over power after her father’s death on February 6, 1952.
Here is a list of Prime Ministers who were in Power during Queen Elizabeth’s reign
The First Prime Minister is Sir Winston Churchill (1951-1955)
Churchhill returned for his second term bid at Downing Street in 1951 after he lost the election in 1945. Churchhill was 77 years old at the time, when Elizabeth, 25, started her reign as the Queen of England.
He found it difficult to work with her, as he described the Queen as too young and just a child who had to prove herself. However, both Churchill and the Queen later became close in the line of duty as he warmed up to her.
They were said to have enjoyed their weekly meetings, which would sometimes go on for two hours. He, however, suffered a stroke which he hid away from his colleague until the Queen urged him to tell the truth about his health during an invite to Balmoral with his wife. Churchill also claimed coming clean about his health aided his recovery.
The Second Prime Minister is Sir Anthony Eden (1955-1957)
Sir Eden’s time as the British prime minister ended after the Suez crisis of 1956. However, many said his exit from office started after a botched medical operation two years before he assumed office.
The Third Prime Minister is Harold Macmillan (1957-1963)
A member of the Conservative Party, Macmillan took over the office of the prime minister in 1957 following the fallout from the Suez crisis.
In his first meeting with the Queen, the then prime minister said his office would only last for six weeks. He was, however, surprised that the Queen remembered six years after when he resigned despite how tensely divided the Conservative Party was at the time.
The Fourth Prime Minister is Sir Alec Douglas-Home (1963-1964)
A member of the Scottish aristocrats, Home was a childhood friend of Queen Elizabeth II. Both the Queen and Home lived as neighbours while growing up and they also shared some interests like loving dogs and horses.
The Fifth Prime Minister is Sir Harold Wilson (1964-1970 and 1974-1976)
The first Labour Party’s prime minister Queen Elizabeth II ever encountered, Wilson brought some new insights into Britain’s leadership structure. He served for two tenures as the British prime minister and was said to have resigned his second term at the peak of the breakdown of Princess Margaret’s marriage with the plan to distract media attention from it.
The Sixth Prime Minister is Sir Edward Heath (1970-1974)
Immediately after Wilson’s tenure, Heath brought back the Conservatives to power and he is believed to be one of the Queen’s least favourite leaders, according to Sky News. It was also gathered that Heath and the Queen had divergent views on the Commonwealth among many other issues.
The Seventh Prime Minister is Sir James Callaghan (1976-1979)
A former member of the British Navy, Callaghan was believed to have had a good relationship with the Queen although he was careful not to tell her private secretary whatever they discussed.
The Eight Prime Minister is Margaret Thatcher (1979-1990)
Having served as British prime minister from 1979 to 1990, the relationship between the Queen and Thatcher was said to be strained.
The Nineth Prime Minister is Sir John Major (1990-1997)
The tenure of Major with the Queen was what many would describe as turbulent even as he had the Gulf War and economic disaster to deal with,
The Tenth Prime Minister is Mr Tony Blair (1997-2007)
Tony Blair, brought back Labour Party with his premiership and a new kind of politics that never sat well with the Queen.
The Eleventh Prime Minister is Sir Gordon Brown (2007-2010)
Gordon Brown took over premiership from Tony Blair in 2007 and the Queen was also said to be very fond of him. She was also said to have made attempts at mimicking his Scottish accent occasionally.
The Twelfth Prime Minister is Sir David Cameron (2010-2016)
David Cameron was said to have already known the Queen before she began her reign as they attended the same elite public school, Heather down.
Both were also shared the same background as they were distantly related as – fifths cousins, twice-removed – through their links to King William IV.
The Thirteenth Prime Minister is Theresa May (2016-2019)
May, a devout Christian served as the second female British prime minister to the Queen. They both enjoyed a cordial relationship as they were said to have discussed their love of the countryside.
The Fourteen Prime Minister is Mr Boris Johnson (2019-2022)
Johnson was said to have started off badly with the Queen especially after he was perceived to have broken protocol by asking her to suspend the parliament shortly before UK’s exit from the European Union in 2019.
However, their relationship got better after he won his 2019 election as the prime minister of Britain.
The Fifteen Prime Minister is Liz Truss (2022- present)
Truss who had just been elected as the most recent British prime minister met with the Queen in Balmoral barely 48 hours before her death, A Conservative, she was the only prime minister whom the Queen appointed at Balmoral instead of Buckingham Palace and this was due to some mobility challenges faced by Queen Elizabeth II.
