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He was the third son of Henry Fox, 1st Baron Holland, one of the older generation self-aggrandizing Whigs. His mother was Lady Caroline Lennox, daughter of the Duke of Richmond. Fox was educated at Eton and Hertford College, Oxford. He was over indulged by his father and quickly entered into an extravagant and dissolute lifestyle, in 1774 he was £140,000 in debt. Fox became MP for Midhurst in 1768, although he was legally too young. He supported Grafton and his attacks on the radical John Wilkes. Fox was made a junior lord of the AdmiraltyFor the international law of the sea, see Admiralty law. For the area of Hong Kong, see Admiralty, Hong Kong Whitehall, London, Thomas Ripley, architect, 1723-26, was not admired by his contemporaries and earned him some scathing couplets from Alexander P by North in 1770, he resigned in January 1772 in order to vote against the Royal Marriage Act but was reappointed to a government post at the Treasury in December but was finally dismissed by North in February 1774, following pressure from George IIIGeorge III (George William Frederick) ( 4 June 1738 29 January 1820) was King of Great Britain, and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until 1 January 1801, and thereafter King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death. He was c.
Out of government Fox became more radical, progressing from his friendship of Edmund BurkeEdmund Burke ( January 12, 1729— July 9, 1797) was an Irish philosopher, Whig politician and statesman, remembered principally for his criticism of the French Revolution and his discussion of "the sublime. He was a founder of the Annual Register and is re to becoming a leader of the Rockinghamite Whigs. Fox won the seat of WestminsterWestminster is the name of a city that covers much of central London, located to the west of the ancient City of London, and which has been the principal seat of government in England for more than nine hundred years. Both cities, and much of the surround in 1781 and showed his support for Parliamentary reform. When Rockingham became Prime Minister in 1782 Fox was made the first foreign secretary. When Rockingham died (July 1, 1782) Fox unwisely resigned over the appointment of Lord ShelburneThis article is about the British Prime Minister and Irish peer. For the English scientist, see William Petty. William Petty Fitzmaurice, 1st Marquess of Lansdowne, 2nd Earl of Shelburne before 1784, ( 20 May 1737- 7th May 1805), British statesman, was bo as Prime Minister. In February 1783 Fox formed an alliance of convenience with North to regain power.
Fox and North came to power in April 1783 over the king's resistance, although Portland actually headed the government the two men were both secretaries of state. The ambitions of both Fox and North were blunted by the active efforts of the king and they angered him further with their open support of the Prince RegentGeorge IV (George Augustus Frederick) ( 12 August 1762 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom and Hanover from 29 January 1820. He had earlier served as Prince Regent; his father, George III, suffered from porphyria, and had lapsed into insanity.. They were both driven from office by the efforts of the king's supporters following the failure of Fox's East India Bill in December. The March 1784 election was a sad defeat for the opposition. In Westminster the contest was fierce with Fox facing defeat and a massive campaign in his favour was run by Georgina, Duchess of Devonshire . In the end Fox was re-elected.
He remained a force in the Whigs and his support of the French Revolution (1789) led to a split in the Whigs between the supporters of the revolution and the others who joined William Pitt the Younger, leaving the opposition as no more than sixty MPs. Fox had become convinced that the king and the establishment were more of a threat to the constitution than 'radical' politics and protested against the curtailment of liberties associated with the war against France. In 1792 Fox saw through the only piece of substantial legislation in his career, the Libel Act, which restored to juries the right to decide what was libel and whether a defendant was guilty. Fox married his mistress, Elizabeth Armistread, in 1795 but did not make this fact public until 1802.
Fox and much of the opposition deliberately withdrew from political life from 1797. He returned following the Treaty of Amiens and having assisted in the replacement of Henry Addington, when Pitt was succeeded by Grenville he was made foreign secretary in the "Ministry of all the Talents" and died in office. He was buried in Westminster Abbey.