List of governors general of Canada

The following is a list of the governors and governors general of Canada. Though the present-day office of the Governor General of Canada is legislatively covered under the Constitution Act, 1867, and legally constituted by the Letters Patent, 1947, the institution is, along with the institution of the Crown it represents, the oldest continuous and uniquely Canadian institution in Canada, having existed in an unbroken line since the appointment of Samuel de Champlain in 1627.[1]

Viceroys of Canada, 1541–1627

Viceroys representing the monarchs of France
#	Name	Image	Viceroy from	Viceroy until
Under Francis I (1541–1547)
1	Jean-François de la Roque de Roberval[2][3]		1541	1543
Under Henry III (1574–1589)
2	Troillus des Mesgoüets[2][4]		1578	?
Under Henry IV (1589–1610)
↓	Troillus des Mesgoüets (continued)		1598	?
3	Aymar Chaste		1602	1603
Under Louis XIII of France (1610–1627)
4	Henri, Prince of Condé[5]		1614	1619
5	Henri II de Montmorency[6]		1619	1625
6	Henri de Lévis de Ventadour[7]		1625	1627

Governors of New France, 1627–1663

Governors representing the monarchs of France
#	Name	Image	Governor from	Governor until
Under Louis XIII of France (1627–1643)
1	Samuel de Champlain (1574–1635)		1627	1635
2	Charles de Montmagny (c. 1599–1654)		1635	→
Under Louis XIV (1643–1663)
↓	Charles de Montmagny (continued)		←	1648
3	Louis d'Ailleboust de Coulonge (c. 1612–1660)		1648	1651
4	Jean de Lauson (1584–1666)		1651	1657
5	Pierre de Voyer d'Argenson, Vicomte de Mouzay (c. 1599–1654)		1658	1661
6	Pierre Dubois Davaugour (1625–1709)		1661	1663

Governors General of New France, 1663–1760

Governors general representing the monarchs of France
#	Name	Image	Governor from	Governor until
Under Louis XIV of France (1663–1715)
7	Augustin de Saffray de Mésy (1598–1665)		1663	1665
8	Daniel de Rémy de Courcelle (1626–1698)		1665	1672
9	Louis de Buade de Frontenac (1622–1698) (first time)		1672	1682
10	Joseph-Antoine de La Barre (1622–1688)		1682	1685
11	Jacques-René de Brisay de Denonville, Marquis de Denonville (1637–1710)		1685	1689
9	Louis de Buade de Frontenac (1622–1698; second appointment)		1689	1698
12	Louis-Hector de Callière (1648–1703)		1698	1703
13	Philippe de Rigaud Vaudreuil (c. 1643–1725)		1703	→
Under Louis XV (1715–1760)
↓	Philippe de Rigaud Vaudreuil (continued)		←	1725
14	Charles de la Boische, Marquis de Beauharnois (1671–1749)		1725	1747
15	Roland-Michel Barrin de La Galissonière (1693–1756)		1747	1749
16	Jacques-Pierre de Taffanel de la Jonquière, Marquis de la Jonquière (1685–1752)		1749	1752
17	Michel-Ange Duquesne de Menneville (c. 1700–1778)		1752	1755
18	Pierre de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal (1698–1778)		1755	1760

Governors of the Province of Quebec, 1760–1786

Governors representing the monarchs of Great Britain
#	Name	Image	Governor from	Governor until
Under George III of the United Kingdom (1760–1786)
19	Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst (1717–1797)		1760	1763
20	James Murray (1721–1794)		1764	1768
21	Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester KB (1724–1808)		1768	1778
22	Sir Frederick Haldimand KB (1718–1791)		1778	1786

Governors-in-Chief/Governors General of the Canadas, 1786–1841

Governors representing the monarchs of Great Britain
#	Name	Image	Governor from	Governor until
Under George III of the United Kingdom (1786–1820)
23	Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester KB (1724–1808)		1786	1796
24	Robert Prescott (c. 1726–1815)		1796	1799
25	Sir Robert Milnes, 1st Baronet (1754–1837)		1799	→
Governors representing the monarchs of the United Kingdom
↓	Sir Robert Milnes (continued)		←	1805
26	Thomas Dunn (1729–1818)		1805	1807
27	Sir James Henry Craig KB (1748–1812)		1807	1811
28	Sir George Prévost Bt (1767–1816)		1811	1815
29	Sir Gordon Drummond (1767–1816)		1815	1816
30	Sir John Coape Sherbrooke (1764–1830)		1816	1818
31	Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond KG PC (1764–1865)		1818	1819
Under George IV of the United Kingdom (1820–1830)
32	George Ramsay, 9th Earl of Dalhousie GCB (1770–1838)		1820	1828
33	Sir James Kempt GCB (c. 1765–1854)		1828	1830
Under William IV (1830–1837)
34	Matthew Whitworth-Aylmer, 5th Baron Aylmer (1775–1850)		1830	1835
35	Archibald Acheson, 2nd Earl of Gosford GCB (1776–1849)		1835	1837
Under Victoria (1837–1841)
36	John Colborne, 1st Baron Seaton GCB GCMG GCH AdC(P) (1778–1863)		1837	1838
37	John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham (1792–1840)		1838	1839
38	Charles Poulett Thomson, 1st Baron Sydenham PC (1799–1841)		1839	1841

Governors General of the Province of Canada, 1841–1867

Governors general representing the monarchs of the United Kingdom
#	Name	Image	Governor from	Governor until
Under Queen Victoria (1841–1867)
↓	The Lord Sydenham (continued)		1841
39	Sir Charles Bagot (1781–1843)		1842	1843
40	Charles Metcalfe, 1st Baron Metcalfe Bt PC (1785–1844)		1843	1845
41	Charles Cathcart, 2nd Earl Cathcart GCB (1783–1859)		1846	1847
42	James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin PC GCB (1811–1863)		1847	1854
43	Sir Edmund Walker Head Bt KCB (1805–1868)		1854	1861
44	Charles Monck, 4th Viscount Monck PC GCMG (1819–1894)		1861	1867

Governors General of Canada, 1867–present

Governors general representing the monarchs of the United Kingdom
#	#	Name	Image	Governor from	Governor until	Prime Minister
Under Queen Victoria (1867–1901)
↓	1	The Viscount Monck (continued)		1 July 1867	14 November 1868	Macdonald
45	2	John Young, 1st Baron Lisgar GCMG GCB PC (1807–1876)		2 February 1869	25 June 1872	Macdonald
46	3	Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava KP GCB GCMG PC (1826–1902)		25 June 1872	25 November 1878	Macdonald Mackenzie Macdonald
47	4	John Campbell, 9th Duke of Argyll KG KT GCMG GCVO PC (1845–1914)		25 November 1878	23 October 1883	Macdonald
48	5	Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne KG GCMG PC (1845–1927)		23 October 1883	11 June 1888	Macdonald
49	6	Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby KG GCB GCVO PC (1841–1908)		11 June 1888	18 September 1893	Macdonald Abbott Thompson
50	7	John Hamilton-Gordon, 1st Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair KT GCMG GCVO PC (1847–1934)		18 September 1893	12 November 1898	Thompson Bowell Tupper Laurier
51	8	Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto KG GCMG PC (1845–1914)		12 November 1898	→	Laurier
Under Edward VII (1901–1910)
↓	↓	The Earl of Minto (continued)		←	10 December 1904	Laurier
52	9	Albert Grey, 4th Earl Grey GCMG GCVO PC (1851–1917)		10 December 1904	→	Laurier
Under George V (1910–1931)
↓	↓	The Earl Grey (continued)		←	13 October 1911	Laurier Borden
53	10	Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn KG KT KP GCB GCSI GCMG GCIE GCVO GBE TD PC ADC (1850–1942)		13 October 1911	11 November 1916	Borden
54	11	Victor Cavendish, 9th Duke of Devonshire KG GCMG GCVO PC JP (1868–1938)		11 November 1916	11 August 1921	Borden Meighen
55	12	Julian Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy GCB GCMG MVO (1862–1935)		11 August 1921	2 October 1926	Meighen King Meighen King
56	13	Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon GCSI GCMG GCIE GBE PC (1866–1941)		2 October 1926	→	King Bennett
Governors general representing the monarchs of Canada
↓	↓	The Marquess of Willingdon (continued)		←	4 April 1931	Bennett
57	14	Vere Ponsonby, 9th Earl of Bessborough GCMG PC (1880–1956)		4 April 1931	2 November 1935	Bennett King
58	15	John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir GCMG GCVO CH PC (1875–1940)		2 November 1935	→	King
Under Edward VIII (1936)
↓	↓	The Lord Tweedsmuir (continued)		←	→	King
Under George VI (1936–1952)
↓	↓	The Lord Tweedsmuir (continued)		←	11 February 1940	King
59	16	Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone KG GCB GCMG GCVO DSO PC ADC FRS (1874–1957)		21 June 1940	12 April 1946	King
60	17	Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis KG GCB OM GCMG CSI DSO MC CD PC PC (1891–1969)		12 April 1946	→	King St. Laurent
Under Elizabeth II (1952–present)
↓	↓	The Earl Alexander of Tunis (continued)		←	28 February 1952	St. Laurent
61	18	Vincent Massey PC CH CD FRSC(hon) (1887–1967)		28 February 1952	15 September 1959	St. Laurent Diefenbaker
62	19	Georges Vanier PC DSO MC CD (1888–1967)		15 September 1959	5 March 1967	Diefenbaker Pearson
63	20	Roland Michener PC CC CMM CD QC FRHSC (1900–1991)		17 April 1967	14 January 1974	Pearson P. E. Trudeau
64	21	Jules Léger CC CMM CD (1913–1980)		14 January 1974	22 January 1979	P. E. Trudeau
65^† [lower-alpha 1]	22	Edward Schreyer CC CMM CD (b. 1935)		22 January 1979	14 May 1984	P. E. Trudeau Clark P. E. Trudeau
66	23	Jeanne Sauvé PC CC CMM CD (1922–1993)		14 May 1984	29 January 1990	P. E. Trudeau Turner Mulroney
67	24	Ray Hnatyshyn PC CC CMM CD QC FRHSC(hon) (1934–2002)		29 January 1990	8 February 1995	Mulroney Campbell Chrétien
68	25	Roméo LeBlanc PC CC CMM CD (1928–2009)		8 February 1995	7 October 1999	Chrétien
69^†	26	Adrienne Clarkson PC CC CMM COM CD FRSC(hon) FRAIC(hon) FRCPSC(hon) (b. 1939)		7 October 1999	27 September 2005	Chrétien Martin
70^†	27	Michaëlle Jean PC CC CMM COM CD FRCPSC(hon) (b. 1957)		27 September 2005	1 October 2010	Martin Harper
71^†	28	David Johnston PC CC CMM COM CD FRSC(hon) FRCPSC(hon) (b. 1941)		1 October 2010	2 October 2017[8]	Harper J. Trudeau
72	29	Julie Payette CC CMM COM OQ CD (b. 1963)		2 October 2017[8]	Incumbent	J. Trudeau
†  denotes living former Governors General

Living former governors general of Canada

As of October 2019, there are four living former governors general of Canada. The most recently deceased governor general, Roméo LeBlanc (1995–1999), died on 24 June 2009.

Living as of 14 August 2020

Name	Term of office	Date of birth
Edward Schreyer	1979–1984	(1935-12-21) 21 December 1935
Adrienne Clarkson	1999–2005	(1939-02-10) 10 February 1939
Michaëlle Jean	2005–2010	(1957-09-06) 6 September 1957
David Johnston	2010–2017	(1941-06-28) 28 June 1941

Administrators

The following is a list of Administrators of the Government, Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada who were acting governors appointed as the result of the death or prolonged absence of the sitting viceroy, or for any other reason:

#	Name	Image	Date	Reason
1	Lyman Duff Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada		1931	Served between the departure of the Earl of Bessborough for India and the arrival of the Lord Tweedsmuir.
1	Lyman Duff Chief Justice of Canada		1940	Served following the death of the Lord Tweedsmuir and the arrival of Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone
2	Thibaudeau Rinfret Chief Justice of Canada		1952	Served after the appointment of the Earl Alexander of Tunis to the British Cabinet until the appointment of Vincent Massey as his successor.
3	Robert Taschereau Chief Justice of Canada		1967	Served following the death of Georges Vanier and appointment of Roland Michener as his successor.
4	Beverley McLachlin Chief Justice of Canada		2005	Served for several weeks in July, while Adrienne Clarkson was hospitalized for heart surgery.
5	John C. Major Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada		2005	Served on behalf of Adrienne Clarkson, from the morning of 27 September until the installation of Michaëlle Jean the same day.[9]

See also

• Governors General of Canada timeline
• List of Canadian monarchs
• List of coats of arms of Governors General of Canada
• List of vicereines in Canada
• Viceregal consort of Canada
• Viceregal eponyms in Canada

Notes

References

1. Department of Canadian Heritage (2015). A Crown of Maples: Constitutional Monarchy in Canada (PDF). Ottawa: Queen's Printer for Canada. p. 34. ISBN 978-1-100-20079-8.
2. Senate of Canada. "Canada: A Constitutional Monarchy". Queen's Printer for Canada. Archived from the original on 9 May 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
3. La Roque de Roquebrune, R. (1979) [1966]. "La Rocque de Roberval, Jean-François de". In Brown, George Williams (ed.). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. I (1000–1700) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press.
4. Government of Canada. "The Kings and Queens of Canada: The Crown in Canadian History > Henri III (1551–1589)". Queen's Printer for Canada. Archived from the original on 28 January 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
5. Wrong, George M. (2009), Langton, H. H. (ed.), The Chronicles of Canada, II: The Rise of New France, Fireship Press, pp. 33–35, ISBN 9781934757451, retrieved 18 September 2015
6. Wrong 2009, p. 35
7. Wrong 2009, p. 51
8. "Incoming Governor General Julie Payette drops attempt to seal U.S. court records". ctvnews.ca. 21 August 2017.
9. Fidelis (2005). "The Installation of the Governor General in 2005: Innovation and Evolution?" (PDF). Canadian Monarchist News. Toronto: Monarchist League of Canada. Fall-Winter 2005 (24): 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 8, 2009. Retrieved 15 July 2009.

External links

• Governor General of Canada > Former Governors General
• Department of Canadian Heritage > A Crown of Maples – Appendices > Governors/Governors General of Canada