Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, KG, PC, FRS, (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) is a British Prime Minister, parliamentarian, Conservative statesman and literary figure.

He serves in government in four decades, twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Although his father had him baptized to Anglicanism at age 12, he is nonetheless Britain's first and thus far only Jewish Prime Minister.

Though a practicing Christian, he had been born into a Jewish family with origins from Portugal, and had converted at a young age.

He plays an instrumental role in the creation of the modern Conservative Party after the Corn Laws schism of 1846.

Although he is a major figure in the protectionist wing of the Conservative Party after 1844, Disraeli's relations with the other leading figures in the party, particularly Lord Derby, the overall leader, are often strained.

Not until the 1860s will Derby and Disraeli be on easy terms, and the latter's succession of the former assured.

From 1852 onwards, Disraeli's career will also be marked by his often intense rivalry with William Ewart Gladstone, who eventually rises to become leader of the Liberal Party.

In this feud, Disraeli is aided by his warm friendship with Queen Victoria, who comes to detest Gladstone during the latter's first premiership in the 1870s.

In 1876, Disraeli is raised to the peerage as the Earl of Beaconsfield, capping nearly four decades in the House of Commons.

Before and during his political career, Disraeli is well known as a literary and social figure, although his novels are not generally regarded as a part of the Victorian literary canon.

He mainly writes romances, of which Sybil and Vivian Grey are perhaps the best-known today.

He is exceptional among British Prime Ministers for having gained equal social and political renown.

He is twice successful as the Glasgow University Conservative Association's candidate for Rector of the University, holding the post for two full terms between 1871 and 1877.