Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, KG (Order of the Garter), PC (Privy Council of the United Kingdom), FRS (Fellow of the Royal Society), (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British Prime Minister (Prime Minister of the United Kingdom), parliamentarian, Conservative (Conservative Party (UK)) statesman and literary figure. He served in government for three decades, twice as Prime Minister (Prime Minister of the United Kingdom). A teenage convert to Anglicanism (Anglican Communion), he was nonetheless the countrys first and thus far only Prime Minister who was born Jewish. He played an instrumental role in the creation of the modern Conservative Party (Conservative Party (UK)) after the Corn Laws schism of 1846.

Although a major figure in the protectionist wing of the Conservative Party after 1844, Disraelis relations with the other leading figures in the party, particularly Lord Derby (Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby), the overall leader, were often strained. Not until the 1860s would Derby and Disraeli be on easy terms, and the latters succession of the former assured. From 1852 onwards, Disraelis career would also be marked by his often intense rivalry with William Ewart Gladstone, who eventually rose to become leader of the Liberal Party (Liberal Party (UK)). In this feud, Disraeli was aided by his warm friendship with Queen Victoria (Victoria of the United Kingdom), who came to detest Gladstone during the latters first premiership in the 1870s. In 1876 Disraeli was raised to the peerage as the Earl of Beaconsfield, capping nearly four decades in the House of Commons (British House of Commons).

Before and during his political career, Disraeli was well-known as a literary and social figure, although his novels are not generally regarded as a part of the Victorian literary canon (Western canon). He mainly wrote romances, of which Sybil (Sybil (novel)) 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 was twice successful as the Glasgow University Conservative Associations candidate for Rector of the University (Rector of the University of Glasgow), holding the post for two full terms between 1871 and 1877.