The heir to the dukedom of Omnium, Palliser is a quiet, dour man whose chief ambition in life is to become Chancellor of the Exchequer. He enters into an arranged marriage with the tempestuous Lady Glencora, who at first finds him boring and plans to run away with her former suitor, the dashing Burgo Fitzgerald. However, the couple eventually settle down to a happy married life, and later books in the series deal with the lives and loves of their two children.