Archibald Primrose, Lord Dalmeny

He was the eldest son and heir apparent of Archibald Primrose, 4th Earl of Rosebery (1783–1868), whom he predeceased, by his wife Harriett Bouverie.

Dalmeny was educated at Harrow School and Trinity College, Cambridge.

Dalmeny was a supporter of the Reform Act 1832, and became a Member of Parliament for Stirling Burghs in the elections held that year after the passage of the bill. From 25 April 1835 until the fall of Melbourne's Second Government in 1841, Dalmeny was a Civil Lord of the Admiralty. In Parliament, he opposed both the secret ballot and the income tax. He did not contest the seat in 1847, and left Parliament.

On 20 September 1843 he married Lady Catherine Lucy Wilhelmina Stanhope (1819–1901), a historian, the daughter of Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl Stanhope, by whom he had four children:

• Lady Mary Catherine Constance Primrose (19 Nov 1844– 3 September 1935), who on 8 October 1885 married Henry Walter Hope-Scott.
• Hon. Constance Evelyn Primrose ( 1 May 1846 – 27 June 1939), who on 15 Jul 1867 married Henry Wyndham, 2nd Baron Leconfield.
• Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery (1847–1929), Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1894–1895.
• Everard Henry Primrose (1848–1885), a Colonel in the Grenadier Guards and the Military Attaché at Vienna.

After Lord Dalmeny's death, Lady Dalmeny married secondly Harry Powlett, 4th Duke of Cleveland (1803–1891) in 1854.

Dalmeny fell ill with pleurisy during the Christmas season of 1850, and while apparently recovering in January, died suddenly of heart failure.