Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations

The secretary of state for Commonwealth relations was a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, responsible for dealing with the United Kingdom's relations with members of the Commonwealth of Nations (its former colonies). The minister's department was the Commonwealth Relations Office (CRO).

Secretaries of state for Commonwealth relations, 1947–1966

	Name	Term of office		Political party
File:Christopher Addison, 1st Viscount Addison.jpg	Christopher Addison 1st Viscount Addison	7 July 1947	7 October 1947	Labour	Attlee (I & II)
File:Philip Noel-Baker 1942.jpg	Philip Noel-Baker MP for Derby	7 October 1947	28 February 1950	Labour
File:Patrick Gordon Walker.jpg	Patrick Gordon Walker MP for Smethwick	28 February 1950	26 October 1951	Labour
File:Ismay cropped.jpg	General Hastings Ismay 1st Baron Ismay	28 October 1951	12 March 1952	–	Churchill III
File:Robert Gascoyne-Cecil 1947.jpg	Robert Gascoyne-Cecil 5th Marquess of Salisbury	12 March 1952	24 November 1952	Conservative
File:Lord Swinton.jpg	Philip Cunliffe-Lister 1st Viscount Swinton	24 November 1952	7 April 1955	Conservative
File:Alec Douglas-Home (c1963).jpg	Alec Douglas-Home 14th Earl of Home	7 April 1955	27 July 1960	Conservative	Eden
File:Alec Douglas-Home (c1963).jpg	Alec Douglas-Home 14th Earl of Home	7 April 1955	27 July 1960	Conservative	Macmillan (I & II)
File:Duncan Sandys 1975.png	Duncan Sandys MP for Streatham	27 July 1960	16 October 1964	Conservative	Macmillan (I & II)
File:Duncan Sandys 1975.png	Duncan Sandys MP for Streatham	27 July 1960	16 October 1964	Conservative	Douglas-Home
File:Arthur Bottomley MP.jpg	Arthur Bottomley MP for Middlesbrough East	18 October 1964	1 August 1966	Labour	Wilson (I & II)

		Entered office	Left office	Political party	Shadow Cabinet
Patrick Gordon Walker	File:Patrick Gordon Walker.jpg	15 July 1955	15 February 1956	Labour	Attlee
Patrick Gordon Walker	File:Patrick Gordon Walker.jpg	15 July 1955	15 February 1956	Labour	Gaitskell
Arthur Creech Jones	File:No image.svg	15 February 1956	24 January 1958	Labour
Arthur Bottomley	File:Arthur Bottomley MP.jpg	24 January 1958^[1]	November 1959	Labour
Hilary Marquand	File:Hilary Marquand.png	November 1959	November 1961	Labour
John Strachey	File:John Strachey.jpg	November 1961	15 July 1963	Labour
					Brown
					Wilson
Unknown	File:No image.svg	15 July 1963	16 October 1964	Labour	Wilson
Duncan Sandys	File:Duncan Sandys 1975.png	16 October 1964	5 August 1965	Conservative	Douglas-Home
Selwyn Lloyd		5 August 1965	19 April 1966	Conservative	Heath
Reginald Maudling		19 April 1966	1 August 1966	Conservative	Heath

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History of English and British government departments with responsibility for foreign affairs and those with responsibility for the colonies, dominions and the Commonwealth
Northern Department 1660–1782 Secretaries — Undersecretaries	Southern Department 1660–1768 Secretaries — Undersecretaries		—
	Southern Department 1768–1782 Secretaries — Undersecretaries 1782: diplomatic responsibilities transferred to new Foreign Office	Colonial Office 1768–1782 Secretaries — Undersecretaries
Foreign Office 1782–1968 Secretaries — Ministers — Undersecretaries	Home Office 1782–1794 Secretaries — Undersecretaries
	War Office 1794–1801 Secretaries — Undersecretaries
	War and Colonial Office 1801–1854 Secretaries — Undersecretaries
	Colonial Office 1854–1925 Secretaries — Undersecretaries		India Office 1858–1937 Secretaries — Undersecretaries
	Colonial Office 1925–1966 Secretaries — Ministers — Undersecretaries	Dominions Office 1925–1947 Secretaries — Undersecretaries
			India Office and Burma Office 1937–1947 Secretaries — Undersecretaries
		Commonwealth Relations Office 1947–1966 Secretaries — Ministers — Undersecretaries
	Commonwealth Office 1966–1968 Secretaries — Ministers — Undersecretaries
Foreign and Commonwealth Office 1968–2020 Secretaries — Ministers — Undersecretaries
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Since 2020 Secretaries — Ministers — Undersecretaries