The Duke of Grafton | |
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Prime Minister of Great Britain | |
In office 14 October 1768 – 28 January 1770 | |
Monarch | George III |
Preceded by | The Earl of Chatham |
Succeeded by | Lord North |
Northern Secretary | |
In office 12 July 1765 – 14 May 1766 | |
Prime Minister | The Marquess of Rockingham |
Preceded by | The Earl of Halifax |
Succeeded by | Henry Seymour Conway |
Personal details | |
Born | Augustus Henry FitzRoy 28 September 1735 |
Died | 14 March 1811 Euston, Suffolk, England | (aged 75)
Resting place | St Genevieve Churchyard, Euston, Suffolk, England |
Political party | Whig |
Spouses | |
Children | 12; including George, William and John |
Parent |
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Alma mater | Peterhouse, Cambridge |
Signature | |
Augustus Henry FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton, KG, PC (28 September 1735 – 14 March 1811), styled Earl of Euston between 1747 and 1757, was a British Whig statesman of the Georgian era. He is one of a handful of dukes who have served as prime minister.
He became prime minister in 1768 at the age of 33, leading the supporters of William Pitt, and was the youngest person to hold the office until the appointment of William Pitt the Younger 15 years later. However, he struggled to demonstrate an ability to counter increasing challenges to Britain's global dominance following the nation's victory in the Seven Years' War. He was widely attacked for allowing France to annex Corsica, and stepped down in 1770, handing over power to Lord North.