Robert Anthony Eden Earl of Avon

Eden, Robert Anthony, Earl of Avon (1897–1977), British diplomat and prime minister. Eden became foreign secretary in 1935 but resigned in 1938 in protest against Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's appeasement of the Axis dictators Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. He served again in the foreign office 1940–45 and 1951–55. As prime minister (1955–57) he promoted an ill-advised invasion of Egypt (1956) to restore Anglo-French control of the Suez Canal after the Egyptians had nationalized it. He resigned the next year because of ill health.