David Lloyd George

David Lloyd George was very handsome and charming as a young man. He was involved in numerous love affairs before he finally tied the knot with Margaret Owen in 1888. The couple had five children and their marriage lasted till his wife’s death in 1941.

He married again in 1943 at the age of 80. His new wife was his longtime mistress Frances Stevenson whom he had first met in 1910.

He died of cancer on 26 March 1945, at the age of 82.

He was born as David George in England on 17 January 1863. His parents were William George, a teacher, and his wife Elizabeth. His father suffered from poor health and died when David was a young child.

His mother took the children and moved in with her brother, Richard Lloyd. His uncle had tremendous influence on the boy as he was growing up and David later on added his uncle's surname to become “David Lloyd George".

He studied to become a lawyer and passed his final examination in 1884.

David Lloyd George set up his own legal practice and became a successful lawyer. He also became politically active during the late 1880s and entered the Parliament in 1890, winning a by-election at Caernarvon Boroughs.

His law practice thrived and in 1897 he merged his successful firm with that of Arthur Rhys Roberts under the name of Lloyd George, Roberts and Co.

He was appointed as President of the Board of Trade in 1905 by the Liberal Prime Minister, Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman.

Upon Campbell-Bannerman’s death in 1908, H.H. Asquith became the Prime Minister and Lloyd George was named Chancellor of the Exchequer in the government of H. H. Asquith.

As the Chancellor of the Exchequer he aided the Prime Minister in creating the 1909 budget which was called the ‘People’s Budget’ since it provided for new welfare programmes that would be financed by imposing increased taxes on land, high incomes, luxuries, liquor and tobacco.

His becoming the Minister of Munitions in 1915 was a significant step in his political career. In this position he helped to increase the munitions output and thus boosted the national morale which was at a low point following the Shell Crisis of 1915.

As the Prime Minister he earned much respect and admiration for the welfare schemes he implemented towards the end of the war. He was instrumental in the passing of several acts including the Representation of the People Act 1918, Parliament (Qualification of Women) Act 1918, Education Act 1918, and Housing and Town Planning Act 1919 which were aimed at rebuilding the war-ravaged nation through social welfare schemes.