Palmerston, << PAH muhr stuhn, >> Viscount (1784-1865), was a foreign secretary and prime minister of the United Kingdom. He became secretary of state for foreign affairs in 1830 and, except for a short interval, held the post until 1841. After a five-year absence, he returned to the foreign office in the Cabinet of Lord John Russell. He established friendly relations with France, helped Belgium gain independence, and supported the Ottoman Empire against Russia. Russell dismissed him in 1851. Without consulting his Cabinet colleagues or Queen Victoria, Palmerston had approved the seizure of power in France by Napoleon III.
Palmerston’s aggressive foreign policy was popular in the United Kingdom, though criticized abroad and in Parliament. He believed in the United Kingdom’s greatness in the world and demanded respect for his country from other nations. In one of his speeches, he reminded his listeners that a citizen of ancient Rome was safe anywhere in the Roman Empire, and declared that the United Kingdom would also protect its subjects the world over.
Palmerston became prime minister in 1855. He saw the Crimean War (1853-1856) to a successful end, but he resigned in 1858 because of criticism of his policy in China. He was prime minister again from 1859 until his death in 1865.
Palmerston was born Henry John Temple on Oct. 20, 1784, at Broadlands, Hampshire. He was one of five children born to Henry Temple, Second Viscount Palmerston, and Mary Mee. Young Henry was educated at Harrow, Edinburgh University, and St. John’s College, Cambridge. Palmerston entered Parliament in 1807 as representative for Newport, Isle of Wight, in the House of Commons. In 1809, he became secretary for war, an office he held for 19 years. Palmerston married Emily Mary Lamb in 1839 and had three children. He died on Oct. 18, 1865, at Brocket Hall, Hertfordshire.
