Poets Laureate of the United Kingdom

The Poet Laureate, a member of the royal household, composes poems for state occasions. Carol Ann Duffy became the first woman in the position's 341-year history when chosen for the post in 2009. The Poet Laureate of Britain is normally appointed for life; however, Andrew Motion, named to the post in 1999, accepted the position for ten years.

Edmund Spenser	1591–1599
Samuel Daniel	1599–1619
Ben Jonson	1619–1637
William Davenant	1638–1668
John Dryden ¹	1668–1689
Thomas Shadwell	1689–1692
Nahum Tate	1692–1715
Nicholas Rowe	1715–1718
Laurence Eusden	1718–1730
Colley Cibber	1730–1757
William Whitehead	1757–1785
Thomas Warton	1785–1790
Henry James Pye	1790–1813
Robert Southey	1813–1843
William Wordsworth	1843–1850
Alfred Lord Tennyson	1850–1892
Alfred Austin	1896–1913
Robert Bridges	1913–1930
John Masefield	1930–1967
Cecil Day-Lewis	1967–1972
Sir John Betjeman	1972–1984
Ted Hughes	1984–1998
Andrew Motion	1999–2009
Carol Ann Duffy	2009–

1. First to bear the title officially.

Poets Laureate of the United States

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