Former Governors General

The Right Honourable Richard Wagner, P.C., served as the administrator of the Government of Canada from January 23, 2021 to July 26, 2021. 

Before becoming Governor General, Julie Payette was an astronaut, engineer, scientific broadcaster and corporate director.

David Johnston was born in Copper Cliff, near Sudbury, Ontario on June 28, 1941, the son of Dorothy Stonehouse and Lloyd Johnston, the retail manager of a local hardware store.

Michaëlle Jean was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. She immigrated to Canada with her family in 1968, fleeing the dictatorial regime of the time.

Born in Hong Kong in 1939, Madame Clarkson came to Canada as a refugee with her family, during the war in 1942.

Mr. LeBlanc earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education at l'Université St-Joseph, Memramcook, and studied French civilization at l'Université de Paris. He also holds a number of honorary degrees.

Rideau Hall has always been one of Ottawa's most interesting landmarks. During the Right Honourable Ramon John Hnatyshyn's term of office, the official residence began to be known as a tourist destination, with many Canadians enjoying tours of the public rooms and grounds. 

Throughout her distinguished career, the Right Honourable Jeanne Sauvé achieved a number of notable 'firsts'. In the House of Commons, she was the first female Cabinet member from Quebec, she was the first woman elected as Speaker of the House of Commons, she opened the first daycare on Parliament Hill, and she was the first woman to serve as governor general.

One of Edward Schreyer's first encounters with Rideau Hall came in 1975 when he was awarded the 'Governor General Vanier Award as an Outstanding Young Canadian of the Year'. Three years later, Mr. Schreyer was appointed Governor General and he and his family moved from Manitoba into Rideau Hall.

Six months after being sworn in as Governor General, Jules Léger suffered a stroke while at the University of Sherbrooke, Quebec where he was to receive an honorary degree. As he recovered from his stroke, Madame Léger played an important role.

Roland Michener was appointed Governor General the same year that Canada celebrated 100 years of Confederation. Mr. and Mrs. Michener had barely started their term of office when the long procession of visiting dignitaries began.

As a young man, Georges Vanier was appointed an aide-de-camp to then-Governor General Lord Byng, in 1921. He and his wife had been married less than a year when they came to live in Rideau Cottage, on the grounds of Rideau Hall. Thirty-eight years after that first introduction, Georges and Pauline Vanier came to live at Rideau Hall as the newly appointed viceregal couple.

With Vincent Massey's appointment as Governor General, a new tradition began – he was the first Canadian appointed to the post, and from that day the Governor General has always been a Canadian citizen.

The news that King George VI had appointed the then-Viscount Alexander as Governor General caused excitement across the country. He was a hero of the Second World War, and was considered Britain's greatest military commander since the Duke of Wellington.

Following the sudden death of Lord Tweedsmuir while in office, the Earl of Athlone, uncle of King George VI, was approached to assume the post of Governor General. There had been calls from government and the media for a Canadian Governor General, but Prime Minister Mackenzie King did not feel the time was right for this.

When Lord Tweedsmuir became Governor General, Canada was graced with a very literary viceregal couple. Lord Tweedsmuir was a prolific author, writing two or three books a year – his suspense novel Thirty-Nine Steps later became famous when Alfred Hitchcock made it into a movie. Lady Tweedsmuir wrote many books and plays under the name of Susan Buchan.

Communications was a hallmark of Lord Bessborough's term of office. His installation was the first to be broadcast nationally by radio. He inaugurated the first trans-Canadian phone system in 1932, speaking from his study at Rideau Hall to each of the Lieutenant Governors, and had a direct telephone link established between his office and that of Prime Minister R.B. Bennett.

Lord Willingdon assumed his new duties as Governor General just as Canada embarked, domestically and internationally, on a new direction as an independent nation. 

Lord Byng was well-known to Canadians before his appointment as Governor General. In 1916, during the First World War, he took command of the Canadian Army Corps on the western front. He gained his greatest glory with the Canadian victory at Vimy Ridge in April 1917, an historic military victory for Canada that inspired nationalism at home.

The appointment of the Duke of Devonshire as Governor General caused brief political problems because Prime Minister Borden's government had not been consulted by the British Prime Minister.

Prince Arthur, the Duke of Connaught, was the third son of Queen Victoria, and was the first member of the Royal Family to become Governor General of Canada.

Earl Grey was a very active Governor General. He was in constant contact with the Prime Minister, offering ideas for social reform. He sought greater political inclusion for all, and worked to reach as many ordinary Canadians as possible.

Long before his viceregal appointment, Lord Minto spent several years in Canada serving as an Aide-de-camp to General Middleton during the North West Rebellion.

Even before Lord Aberdeen became Governor General in 1893, he and Lady Aberdeen had fallen in love with Canada. They had taken a world tour in 1890, which included an extensive visit to Canada. The Aberdeens were so impressed with this country that they purchased "Coldstream Ranch", located in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, in 1891.

In 1893, Lord Stanley gave Canada a treasured national icon -- the Stanley Cup. He originally donated the trophy as an award for Canada's top-ranking amateur hockey club. Then in 1926, the National Hockey League adopted the Stanley Cup as the championship prize in professional hockey.

The Marquess of Lansdowne was Governor General during turbulent times in Canada. Sir John A. Macdonald's government was in its second term and facing allegations of scandal over the building of the railway, and the economy was once again sliding into recession.

When Lord Lorne's appointment was announced, there was great excitement throughout Canada. For the first time, Rideau Hall would have a royal resident – Queen Victoria's fourth daughter, Princess Louise, had married Lord Lorne on March 21, 1871.

Lord Dufferin served as Governor General of Canada during a period of rapid change in Canadian history. During his term, Prince Edward Island was admitted to Confederation, and several well-known Canadian institutions, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Royal Military College of Canada, and the Intercolonial Railway, were established.

Lord Lisgar, Canada's second Governor General, was not shy about voicing criticism or strong opinions. While some resented his independent mind, Sir John A. Macdonald thought Lisgar the most able of the Governors General he had known.

Viscount Monck was Canada's first Governor General – but he had actually served as Governor of British North America since 1861.