Viceregal consort of Canada
{{Short description|Spounce of the governor general of Canada}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = Viceregal consort
| body = Canada
| image = Platinum Jubilee- Commonwealth Governors-General inside the Cathedral - Whit Fraser.jpg
| incumbentlabel = Current
| incumbent = Whit Fraser
| incumbentsince = July 26, 2021
| style = His Excellency
| residence = Rideau Hall
| website = {{official|https://www.gg.ca/en/governor-general/governor-general-mary-simon/his-excellency-whit-fraser}}
| type = Spouse of the governor general of Canada
}}
File:VerePonsonby.jpg (right), viceregal consort of Canada, with her husband, the 9th Earl of Bessborough, in their official photograph as governor general and viceregal consort of Canada, 1933]]
The viceregal consort of Canada is the spouse of the serving governor general of Canada, assisting the viceroy with ceremonial and charitable work, accompanying him or her to official state occasions, and occasionally undertaking philanthropic work of their own. As the host/hostess of the royal and viceroyal residence in Ottawa, the consort, if female, is also known as the chatelaine of Rideau Hall. This individual, who ranks third in the Canadian order of precedence, after the Canadian monarch and the governor general, is addressed as His or Her Excellency while their spouse is in office, and is made ex officio an Extraordinary Companion ({{langx|fr|Compagnon Extraordinaire}}) of the Order of Canada and a Knight or Dame of Justice of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem.{{cite web| url=http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=56| last=Office of the Governor General of Canada| author-link=Governor General of Canada| title=Role and Responsibilities > The Governor General and her spouse > Jean-Daniel Lafond > Role| publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada| access-date=10 January 2010}}
The present viceregal consort is Whit Fraser, the husband of Governor General Mary Simon, who took office on July 26, 2021.
Role
Image:Alice, HRH Countess of Athlone.jpg, c. 1942]]
The position of the viceregal consort carries no official duties and receives no salary. However, consorts have held and do hold a prominent and visible position in the Canadian affairs of state, taking part in official occasions, such as the speech from the throne and Order of Canada investitures, and national celebrations, such as Canada Day events on Parliament Hill, as well as both welcoming foreign dignitaries to Canada and accompanying the governor general on state visits abroad. These practices evolved from the original role as the hostess of the royal and viceroyal residences in Ottawa (Rideau Hall) and Quebec City (La Citadelle), a tradition maintained only by female viceregal consorts, who oversee the planning of ceremonies and functions of state that take place at either of the official residences.{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}}
Over the course of the 20th century, it became increasingly common for viceregal consorts to select and pursue on their own initiative various charitable projects. Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, whose husband served as governor general during the Second World War, volunteered her time to the war effort in Canada, especially women's organisations such as the Royal Canadian Air Force Women's Division. The activities chosen are typically apolitical and non-divisive. However, some consorts have stirred controversy through their work; Jean-Daniel Lafond, who promoted Canadian art—film in particular—and involved himself in the Francophone community, made a documentary while viceregal consort that attracted criticism from the National Post that Lafond had shown strong anti-Americanism and had been sympathetic to an admitted assassin.{{cite web| url=http://www.informactionfilms.com/en/productions/hassan/American| title=Fugitive:The Truth About Hassan| publisher=InformAction| access-date=2 October 2008| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208144545/http://www.informactionfilms.com/en/productions/hassan/| archive-date=8 December 2008}}{{Cite news| title=Lafond's new film hits hot buttons| publisher=CBC| date=26 April 2006| url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/lafond-s-new-film-hits-hot-buttons-1.573308| access-date=2 October 2008}}{{Citation| last=Burrows| first=Michael| title=Airbrushing a killer| newspaper=National Post| date=2 May 2006| url=http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/issuesideas/story.html?id=3013aac0-8f41-4fdf-b890-5c1569da7056| access-date=10 January 2010| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091210105103/http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/issuesideas/story.html?id=3013aac0-8f41-4fdf-b890-5c1569da7056| archive-date=10 December 2009}}
Only once has the title of Chatelaine of Rideau Hall been held by someone who was not the spouse of the governor general—as Vincent Massey was a widower, his daughter-in-law, Lilias Massey, held the title and performed the official duties of the chatelaine. Unlike a viceregal consort, however, Lilias Massey was not addressed as Her Excellency.{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}}
List of viceregal consorts
=Viceregal consorts of New France, 1627–1760=
=Viceregal consorts of British North America, 1760–1867=
=Viceregal consorts of Canada, 1867–present=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | |||
| | # | width="45%" align="left"| Name | width="15%" align="left"| Dates | width="35%" align="left"| Spouse |
|---|---|---|---|
| |29
| The Viscountess Monck (née Elizabeth Louise Mary Monck) | 1867–1869 | |||
| |30
| The Lady Lisgar (née Adelaide Annabella Tuite Dalton){{Citation| last=Ward| first=C.P.| year=2000| contribution=Young, Sir John [Baron Lisgar] (1807–1876)| contribution-url=http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A060488b.htm| editor-last=Australian National University| title=Australian Dictionary of Biography| volume=6| publication-place=Melbourne| publisher=Melbourne University Press| url=http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/adbonline.htm| access-date=12 September 2010}} | 1869–1872 | |||
| |31
| The Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava (née Hariot Georgina Rowan-Hamilton) | 1872–1878 | |||
| |32
| The Princess Louise, Marchioness of Lorne (née The Princess Louise) | 1878–1883 | |||
| |33
| The Marchioness of Lansdowne (née Lady Maud Evelyn Hamilton) | 1883–1888 | |||
| |34
| The Countess of Derby (née Lady Constance Villiers){{cite DCB| last=Waite| first=P.B.| volume=13| title=Stanley, Frederick Arthur, 1st Baron Stanley and 16th Earl of Derby| url=http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/stanley_frederick_arthur_13E.html}} | 1888–1893 | |||
| |35
| The Marchioness of Aberdeen and Temair (née Ishbel Maria Marjoribanks) | 1893–1898 | |||
| |36
| The Countess of Minto (née Mary Caroline Grey){{cite DCB| last=Miller| first=Carman| volume=14| title=Elliot, Gilbert John Murray-Kynynmound, Viscount Melgund and 4th Earl of Minto| url=http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/elliot_gilbert_john_murray_kynynmound_14E.html}} | 1898–1904 | |||
| |37
| The Countess Grey (née Alice Holford){{cite DCB| last=Miller| first=Carman| volume=14| title=Grey, Albert Henry George, 4th Earl Grey| url=http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/grey_albert_henry_george_14E.html}} | 1904–1911 | |||
| |38
| The Duchess of Connaught and Strathearn (née Princess Luise Margarete of Prussia) | 1911–1916 | |||
| |39
| The Duchess of Devonshire (née Lady Evelyn Emily Mary FitzMaurice) | 1916–1921 | |||
| |40
| The Lady Byng of Vimy (née Marie Evelyn Moreton) | 1921–1926 | |||
| |41
| The Marchioness of Willingdon (née Marie Adelaide Brassey) | 1926–1931 | |||
| |42
| The Countess of Bessborough (née Roberte de Neuflize) | 1931–1935 | |||
| |43
| The Lady Tweedsmuir (née Susan Charlotte Grosvenor) | 1935–1940 | |||
| |44
| Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (née Princess Alice of Albany) | 1940–1946 | |||
| |45
| The Viscountess Alexander of Tunis (née Margaret Bingham) | 1946–1952 | |||
| |
| None (acting châtelaine: Lilias Massey){{#tag:ref|Massey's wife, Alice Massey (née Parkin), died prior to the former's appointment as governor general; his daughter-in-law, Lilias Massey, acted as Chatelaine of Rideau Hall.|group=n|name=Massey}} | 1952–1959 | |||
| |46
| Pauline Vanier (née Archer) | 1959–1967 | |||
| |47
| Norah Michener (née Willis) | 1967–1974 | |||
| |48
| Gabrielle Léger (née Carmel) | 1974–1979 | |||
| |49
| Lily Schreyer (née Schulz) | 1979–1984 | |||
| |50
| 1984–1990 | |||
| |51
| Karen Gerda Nygaard Hnatyshyn (née Andreasen) | 1990–1995 | |||
| |52
| 1995–1999 | |||
| |53
| 1999–2005 | |||
| |54
| 2005–2010 | |||
| |55
| 2010–2017 | |||
| |
| None {{#tag:ref|Payette was divorced and had not remarried.|group=n|name=Payette}} | 2017–2021 | |||
| |56
| 2021–present |
Canadian institutions established by viceregal consorts
- Lady Stanley Institute for Trained Nurses – The Countess of Derby
- Ottawa Maternity Hospital – The Marchioness of Aberdeen
- Victorian Order of Nurses – The Marchioness of AberdeenUnless noted otherwise, source for information in this section is found in: Hubbard, R.H.; Rideau Hall; McGill-Queen’s University Press; Montreal and London; 1977
- Lady Minto Hospital – The Countess of Minto
See also
Notes
{{reflist|group=n}}
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
{{Commons category|Viceregal consorts of Canada}}
- {{official|https://www.gg.ca/en/governor-general/governor-general-mary-simon/his-excellency-whit-fraser}}
{{Governor General of Canada}}