Who is the only british prime minister to be assinated?

Answer 1

The Rt Hon Spencer Perceval is the only British Prime Minister to have been assassinated. John Bellingham shot him through the heart with a pistol in the lobby of the House of Commons at 5:15pm on 11 May 1812.

Answer 2

The Rt Hon Spencer Perceval is the only British Prime Minister to have been assassinated. John Bellingham shot him through the heart with a pistol in the lobby of the House of Commons at 5:15pm on 11 May 1812.

Answer 3

The Rt Hon Spencer Perceval is the only British Prime Minister to have been assassinated. John Bellingham shot him through the heart with a pistol in the lobby of the House of Commons at 5:15pm on 11 May 1812.

Answer 4

Spencer Perceval- he was Conservative Prime Minister for three years from 4th October 1809 until 11th May 1812, having previously served as Chancellor in the Duke of Portland's government.

On 11th May 1812, he was shot dead in the House of Commons by merchant John Bellingham, who blamed Perceval's government for not having intervened on his behalf whilst he was in prison in Russia on charges of having attempted to sabotage a Dutch merchant ship, and for jumping bail in St. Petersburg. Bellingham had originally wanted to assassinate the British Ambassador to Moscow.

Perceval died almost instantly- he was 49 years old, and left a wife and twelve children. He was buried at St. Luke's church in Charlton, just outside London, and succeeded as Prime Minister by Lord Liverpool, who is on record as having been Britain's longest ever serving Prime Minister.

Bellingham was immediately arrested by House of Commons security guards and tried soon afterwards. Refusing to enter a plea of diminished responsibility due to insanity, he was executed by hanging on 18th May and his body bound over to the Royal College of Physicians for anatomical dissection at one of London's medical schools. However, his widow and three children were financially supported by Government allowance until she remarried the following year.

Answer 5

This was Spencer Percival, who was Prime Minister from 4th October 1809 until he was shot dead at the age of 49 on 11th May 1812 by merchant John Bellingham. Bellingham blamed the British Government for failing to intervene on his behalf during a period of imprisonment in Russia, on charges of having attempted to sabotage a Dutch merchant ship and for jumping bail in St. Petersburg.

Bellingham was hanged on 15th May, and his body used for dissection in one of London's medical schools. His widow and children received financial support from the Government until she remarried the following year.