*Cameron was educated at Britain's most exclusive private school, Eton, at the same time as Prince Edward. At Oxford he joined the elitist Bullington during club and gained a first-class degree in politics, philosophy and economics.

*He is a direct descendant of King William IV.

*Cameron worked as a public relations executive at the Carlton Television company for seven years, before being elected to parliament in 2001. the conservatives chose him as their fifth leader in December 2005.

*His detractors in the leadership race called him more “right-wing” than his rival Chris Huhne, while his supporters emphasized his likely youthful appeal to the electorate.

*Cameron's support for “compassionate Conservatism” and defence of the

state-run National Health Service was influenced by the experience of caring for his oldest child Ivan, who suffered from cerebral palsy and severe epilepsy. Ivan died last year aged six.

*He was a regular columnist for the Guardian as the paper's trendy Tory.

*Cameron and his wife Samantha have two other children and are expecting a baby in September. The aristocratic Samantha, who is creative director at the Smythson luxury leather goods firm, has become a favourite with the British press, who have nicknamed her “Sam Cam”.

*Nick Clegg is a keen mountaineer and skier.

*He described himself as a liberal “by temperament, by instinct and by upbringing” during his party leadership acceptance speech.

*Clegg studied anthropology at Cambribridge University in the late 1980's before doing an MA in European affairs at the College of European affairs at the College of Europe in Bruges

*The party's law and order spokesman, he is a former journalist and is MP for Sheffield Hallam, having entered parliament in 2005.

*He was a Member of the European Parliament for the East Midlands in 1999 until he stood down in 2004.

*Clegg is married with two young sons. His Spanish wife, Miriam Gonzalez Durantex, has not taken up British citizenship and consequently couldn't vote for her husband.