Rosebery, Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th earl

Rosebery, Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th earl of

 orig. Archibald Philip Primrose

(born May 7, 1847, London, Eng.—died May 21, 1929, Epsom, Surrey) British politician. He served in William E. Gladstone's governments as undersecretary for Scottish affairs (1881–83) and foreign secretary (1886, 1892–94). He succeeded Gladstone as prime minister (1894–95) but was ineffective in resolving conflicts within the Liberal Party and in passing legislation through the Conservative-dominated House of Lords. He broke with the Liberal Party by opposing Irish Home Rule (1905) and retired from public life.