Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville

Who was Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville?

Granville George Leveson Gower, 2nd Earl Granville, KG, PC, FRS, styled Lord Leveson until 1846, was a British Liberal statesman. In a political career spanning over 50 years, he was thrice Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, led the Liberal Party in the House of Lords for almost 30 years and was joint Leader of the Liberal Party between 1875 and 1880. He is best known for his pacific stewardship of Britain's external relations, 1870–74 and 1880–85, in cooperation with his best friend, Prime Minister Gladstone. His foreign policy was based on patience, peace, and no alliances; it kept Britain free from European wars and improved relations with the United States after the strain during the American Civil War.