| Post: | Viceregal consort |
| Body: | Canada |
| Incumbentlabel: | Current |
| Incumbent: | Whit Fraser |
| Incumbentsince: | July 26, 2021 |
| Style: | His Excellency |
| Residence: | Rideau Hall |
| Type: | Spouse of the governor general of Canada |
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 (French: 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.[1]
The present viceregal consort is Whit Fraser, the husband of Governor General Mary Simon, who took office on July 26, 2021.
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.
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.[2] [3]
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.
| Name | Dates | Spouse | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hélène de Champlain (née Boullé)[4] | 1627–1635 | Samuel de Champlain | |
| None | 1635–1648 | Charles de Montmagny | ||
| 2 | Marie-Barbe d'Ailleboust (née de Boullongne)[5] | 1648–1651 | Louis d'Ailleboust de Coulonge | |
| None | 1651–1657 | Jean de Lauson | ||
| None | 1658–1661 | Le vicomte de Mouzay | ||
| None | 1661–1663 | Le baron d'Avaugour | ||
| None | 1663–1665 | Augustin de Saffray de Mésy | ||
| None | 1665–1672 | Daniel de Rémy de Courcelle | ||
| 3 | La comtesse de Frontenac et de Palluau (née Anne de la Grange-Trianon)[6] | 1672–1682 | Le comte de Frontenac et de Palluau | |
| 4 | Marie Mandat[7] | 1682–1685 | Joseph-Antoine de La Barre | |
| 5 | La marquise de Denonville (née Catherine Courtin)[8] | 1685–1689 | Le marquis de Denonville | |
| None | 1689–1698 | Le comte de Frontenac et de Palluau | ||
| None | 1698–1703 | Louis-Hector de Callière | ||
| 6 | La marquise de Vaudreuil (née Louise-Élisabeth de Joybert)[9] | 1703–1725 | Le marquis de Vaudreuil | |
| 7 | La marquise de Beauharnois (née Renée Pays)[10] | 1725–1747 | Le marquis de Beauharnois | |
| 8 | La marquise de La Galissonnière (née Marie-Catherine-Antoinette de Lauson)[11] | 1747–1749 | Le marquis de La Galissonnière | |
| 9 | La marquise de la Jonquière (née Marie-Angélique de La Valette)[12] | 1749–1752 | Le marquis de la Jonquière | |
| None | 1752–1755 | Le marquis du Quesne | ||
| None | 1755–1760 | Le marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal |
| Name | Dates | Spouse | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Lady Jane Amherst (née Dalison)[13] | 1760–1763 | Sir Jeffrey Amherst | ||
| 11 | Cordelia Murray (née Collier)[14] | 1764–1768 | James Murray | ||
| 12 | Lady Maria Carleton (née Howard)[15] | 1768–1778 | Sir Guy Carleton | ||
| None | 1778–1786 | Sir Frederick Haldimand | |||
| 12 | The Lady Dorchester (previously Lady Maria Carleton) | 1786–1796 | The Lord Dorchester | ||
| 13 | Unknown | 1796–1799 | Robert Prescott | ||
| 14 | Lady Charlotte Frances Milnes (née Bentinck)[16] | 1799–1805 | Sir Robert Shore Milnes | ||
| 15 | Lady Henriette Dunn (née Guichaud)[17] | 1805–1807 | Sir Thomas Dunn | ||
| None | 1807–1811 | Sir James Henry Craig | |||
| 16 | Lady Catherine Anne Prévost (née Phipps)[18] | 1811–1815 | Sir George Prévost | ||
| 17 | Lady Margaret Drummond (née Russell)[19] | 1815–1816 | Sir Gordon Drummond | ||
| 18 | Lady Katherine Sherbrooke (née Pyndar)[20] | 1816–1818 | Sir John Coape Sherbrooke | ||
| 19 | The Duchess of Richmond (née Charlotte Gordon)[21] | 1818–1820 | The Duke of Richmond | ||
| 20 | The Countess of Dalhousie (née Christina Broun)[22] | 1820–1828 | The Earl of Dalhousie | ||
| None | 1828–1830 | Sir James Kempt | |||
| 21 | The Lady Aylmer (née Louisa Anne Call)[23] | 1830–1835 | The Lord Aylmer | ||
| 22 | The Countess of Gosford (née Mary Sparrow)[24] | 1835–1837 | The Earl of Gosford | ||
| 23 | Lady Elizabeth Colborne (née Yonge)[25] | 1837–1838 | Sir John Colborne | ||
| 24 | The Countess of Durham (née Louisa Elizabeth Grey)[26] | 1838–1839 | The Earl of Durham | ||
| None | 1839–1941 | The Lord Sydenham | |||
| 25 | Lady Mary Charlotte Anne Bagot (née Wellesley-Pole)[27] | 1842–1843 | Sir Charles Bagot | ||
| None | 1843–1845 | Sir Charles Metcalfe | |||
| 26 | The Countess Cathcart (née Henrietta Mather)[28] | 1846–1847 | The Earl Cathcart | ||
| 27 | The Countess of Elgin and Kincardine (née Mary Lambton)[29] | 1847–1854 | The Earl of Elgin and Kincardine | ||
| 28 | Lady Anna Maria Head (née Yorke)[30] | 1854–1861 | Sir Edmund Walker Head | ||
| 29 | The Viscountess Monck (née Elizabeth Louise Mary Monck)[31] | 1861–1867 | The Viscount Monck |