William Stanhope, 1st Earl of Harrington

The Right Honourable The Earl of Harrington PC
William Stanhope, 1st Earl of Harrington (Godfrey Kneller, 1646–1723)
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
In office 15 November 1746 – 15 December 1750
Monarch	George II
Preceded by	The Earl of Chesterfield
Succeeded by	The Duke of Dorset
Lord President of the Council
In office 13 February 1742 – 3 January 1745
Monarch	George II
Prime Minister	The Earl of Wilmington Henry Pelham
Preceded by	The Earl of Wilmington
Succeeded by	The Duke of Dorset
Personal details
Born	William Stanhope c. 1690
Died	8 December 1756(1756-12-08) London, England.
Nationality	British
Spouse(s)	Anne Griffith (daughter of Colonel Edward Griffith and Elizabeth Lawrence)
Parents	John Stanhope Dorothy Agard
Residence	Elvaston Castle
Occupation	Peer, British statesman and diplomat.

General William Stanhope, 1st Earl of Harrington, PC (c.1683 – 8 December 1756) was a British statesman and diplomat.

He was a younger son of John Stanhope of Elvaston, Derbyshire, and a brother of Charles Stanhope (1673–1760), an active politician during the reign of George I. His ancestor, Sir John Stanhope (d. 1638), was a half-brother of Philip Stanhope, 1st Earl of Chesterfield. Educated at Eton, William Stanhope entered the army and served in Spain during the War of the Spanish Succession as Lieutenant and captain in the 2nd Foot Guards (1703), captain and lieutenant-colonel in the 3rd Foot Guards (1710), colonel of the Regiment of Foot (1711–12), Regiment of Dragoons (1715–18) and the 13th Dragoons (1725–30), Major-General (1735), Lieutenant-General (1739) and General (1747).

He afterwards turned his attention to more peaceful pursuits, went on a mission to Madrid and represented his country at Turin. When peace was made between Britain and Spain in 1720 Stanhope became British ambassador to the latter country, and he retained this position until March 1727, having built up his reputation as a diplomatist during a difficult period. He was appointed Vice-Chamberlain of the Household in 1727–30 and a Privy Councillor on 31 May 1727. In 1729 he had some part in arranging the Treaty of Seville between Britain, France and Spain, and for his services in this matter he was created Baron Harrington in January 1730.

Later in the same year he was appointed Secretary of State for the Northern Department under Sir Robert Walpole, replacing Lord Townshend, but, like George II, he was anxious to assist the emperor Charles VI in his war with France, while Walpole favoured a policy of peace. Although the latter had his way Harrington remained secretary until the great minister's fall in 1742, when he was transferred to the office of Lord President of the Council and was created Earl of Harrington of (Harrington, Northamptonshire) and Viscount Petersham of (Surrey).