Carteret, John, 1st Earl Granville (1690-1763)

English diplomat and politician; chief adviser to George II 1742-44. Born the second Lord Carteret, a prodigious intellect and linguistic ability marked him out for a diplomatic career. As ambassador to Sweden he helped negotiate an end to the Great Northern War resulting in the Peace of Stockholm 1719. He was appointed one of two foreign secretaries in Robert Walpole's ministry 1721 and attended the negotiations with France at the Congress of Cambrai but he proved a difficult colleague and Walpole moved him to Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1724, only for him to be reinstated as secretary of state on Walpole's fall later in the year. He led the party opposed to Walpole in the House of Lords 1730-42, when he became the king's chief adviser. As secretary of state during the War of the Austrian Succession, he directed British foreign policy and was with George II at the Battle of Dettingen 1743. George tried to make him prime minister 1746 but he lacked the support necessary to form a ministry.