In 1718, he was sworn of the Privy Council and appointed Treasurer of the Navy. In 1719 he was one of the original backers of the Royal Academy of Music, establishing a London opera company which commissioned numerous works from Handel and others.
In 1718, he joined the Privy Council and became the Navy's financial overseer. In 1719, he was one of the original investors in the Royal Academy of Music, which established an opera troupe that commissioned music from Handel and other composers.