CHARLES GREY
(2nd Earl Grey)
George Canning, 1770-1827, the British Foreign Minister at only 35 years of age was considered the most brilliant politician of this time. He would have been a natural selection for Prime Minister. However, early in Canning's boyhood his father had been disinherited and died in poverty and his mother worked as an actress to support the family. This quotation shows the snobbery and class distinction that permeated England at the time.
2nd Earl Grey
Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, known as Viscount Howick between 1806 and 1807, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 22 November 1830 to 16 July 1834. A member of the Whig Party, he backed significant reform of the British government and was among the primary architects of the Reform Act 1832. His government also saw the abolition of slavery in the British Empire. In addition to his political achievements, he has come to be associated with Earl Grey tea.
