Archibald Philip PRIMROSE (1847-1929)

Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, 1st Earl of Midlothian (1847-1927) was born on 7th May 1847 in Mayfair, London.  He was educated at Eton, Brighton College and Crhist Church, Oxford.  He was a Liberal politician who served as Prime Minister from 1894-1895.  He resigned the party leadership in 1896 and never again held political office.

Rosebery made several public appearances at the start of the war to support the war effort.  Arthur Sladden, in a letter of 20th March 1915, was not impressed by the fact that Lord Rosebery calmly compared the war they were fighting with the Crimean War.  He felt that if Rosebery could not understand the situation, what chance had the common man.

The last year of the war was clouded by two personal tragedies for Rosebery:  the death of his son, Neil, in Palestine in November 1917, and Rosebery’s own stroke a few days