The Whig Junto is the name given to a group of leading Whigs who were seen to direct the management of the Whig party and often the government, during the reigns of William III and Anne. William III of England (The Hague,14 November 1650 – Hampton Court, 8 March 1702; also known as William II of Scotland and William III of Orange) was a Dutch aristocrat and a Protestant Prince of Orange from his birth, Stadtholder of the United Netherlands from 28 June 1672, King of... Anne (6 February 1665 – 1 August 1714) became Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. ...

The Whig Junto proper consisted of John Somers, later Lord Somers; Charles Montagu, later Earl of Halifax; Thomas Wharton, later Marquess of Wharton and Edward Russell, later Earl of Orford. They came to prominence due to the favour of the opportunistic éminence grise, Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland and during the reign of Queen Anne, Sunderland's son the 3rd Earl, would join their ranks. Other figures prominent around the edges of the Junto include Sir John Trenchard and Thomas Tollemache. John Somers, 1st Baron Somers (4 March 1651–26 April 1716), was Lord Chancellor of England under King William III. He was born near Worcester, the eldest son of John Somers, an attorney in large practice in that town, who had formerly fought on the side of the Parliament... Charles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax (April 16, 1661 - May 19, 1715) was Chancellor of the Exchequer, poet, statesman, and Earl of Halifax. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Categories: People stubs | 1653 births | 1727 deaths | Peers | Royal Navy admirals | Lords of the Admiralty ... Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland (1640 - September 28, 1702) was an English statesman and nobleman. ... Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland (c. ... John Trenchard is the name of several people. ... Thomas Tollemache (c. ...

Somers, Wharton, Russell and Montagu were elected to the House of Commons in 1689 and were granted minor office. Their effectiveness in the Commons brought them Sunderland's attention. The Junto began to dominate the ministry from the time of the resignation of the Tory Secretary of State Lord Nottingham from 1693, communicating to the King and Sunderland through the intermediary of the Whig Secretary of State, the Duke of Shrewsbury. However as the members of the Junto entered the Lords—Somers was made Lord Keeper in 1693 and was promoted to a barony four years later; Wharton succeeded his father as Lord Wharton in 1696 and Russell was created Earl of Orford in 1697—their hold on the Commons weakened and by 1700 the Junto was largely out of power. In 1701, Somers, Orford and Halifax were impeached but survived the attack and late in the year seemed set to return to power in order to help the king rally support for the War of the Spanish Succession. Daniel Finch, 7th Earl of Winchilsea, 2nd Earl of Nottingham (July 2, 1647 – January 1, 1730), son of Heneage Finch, 1st Earl of Nottingham. ... Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury ( 24 July 1660 – 1 February 1718), was the only son of Francis Talbot, 11th Earl of Shrewsbury and his second wife, Anne-Marie Brudenell, a daughter of Robert Brudenell, 2nd Earl of Cardigan; (she became the notorious mistress of the 2nd Duke of... Charles II was the last Habsburg King of Spain. ...

William's death in March of 1702 delayed their return as Queen Anne, who had high tory sympathies, detested them and refused to include them in the ministry which was dominated by Tories. At this time, with the elder Sunderland dead, the Junto's connections to his son, who was the son-in-law of the Queen's favorite the Duke of Marlborough proved useful as did the Junto's support of the war, in contrast to Tory ambivalence. In 1705 Somers's protege Lord Cowper was made Lord Keeper and in 1706 Sunderland became a Secretary of State. After the resignation of Harley in 1708, Marlborough and his ally the Lord Treasurer Godolphin, became more and more dependent on the Junto, who returned to office with Somers as Lord President, Wharton as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and Orford as First Lord of the Admiralty. Anne (6 February 1665 – 1 August 1714) became Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. ... John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, in his Garter robes John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, KG, PC (26 May 1650 – 16 June 1722) was an English military officer during the War of the Spanish Succession. ... William Cowper, 1st Earl Cowper (c. ... The Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England, and later of Great Britain was formerly an officer of the English Crown charged with physical custody of the Great Seal of England. ... Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford and Mortimer (5 December 1661 – 21 May 1724), was an English statesman of the Stuart and early Georgian periods. ... Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin (c. ...

The ministry's increasing dependence on the hated Junto Whigs caused the Queen's relationship with the Marlboroughs and Godolphin to sour. In 1710 Godolphin and the Junto Whigs were forced from power. The Junto led opposition to the new ministry's peace policy from the House of Lords, leading to the creation of new peers to prevent this opposition from voting down the peace treaty. This article is about the British House of Lords. ...

The Junto came back to power after the accession of George I in 1714 but most of the members died early in the new reign - Wharton and Halifax in 1715, Somers the next year, while Orford and Sunderland the survivors, soon fell out with one another with Orford not holding office after 1717. George I (Georg Ludwig) (28 May 1660 – 11 June 1727) was Elector of Hanover from 23 January 1698, and King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 1 August 1714, until his death. ... Battle of Gangut, by Maurice Baquoi, 1724-27. ...