Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island
Encyclopedia
The Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island (icon) is the viceregal
representative in Prince Edward Island
of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province
but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada
and resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the United Kingdom
. The Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island is appointed in the same manner as the other provincial viceroys in Canada
and is similarly tasked with carrying out most of the monarch's constitutional and ceremonial duties. The present, and 28th, Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island is H. Frank Lewis, who has served in the role since 15 August 2011.
, the Royal Commonwealth Society
of Prince Edward Island, and the Canadian Cancer Society
(Prince Edward Island division). Also, The viceroy, him or herself a member and Chancellor of the order, will induct deserving individuals into the Order of Prince Edward Island
and, upon installation, automatically becomes a Knight or Dame of Justice and the Vice-Prior in Prince Edward Island of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
. The viceroy further presents numerous other provincial honours and decorations, as well as various awards that are named for and presented by the lieutenant governor. These honours are presented at official ceremonies, which count amongst hundreds of other engagements the lieutenant governor partakes in each year, either as host or guest of honour; the Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island undertook an average of 350 engagements in both 2006 and 2007.
At these events, the lieutenant governor's presence is marked by the lieutenant governor's standard
, consisting of a blue field bearing the shield of the Arms of Her Majesty in Right of Prince Edward Island
surmounted by a crown and surrounded by ten gold maple leaves, symbolizing the ten provinces of Canada
. Within Prince Edward Island, the lieutenant governor also follows only the sovereign in the province's order of precedence
, preceding even other members of the Canadian Royal Family and the Queen's federal representative
.
adopted the idea that Prince Edward Island (then St. John's Island), along with New Brunswick
, Nova Scotia
, and Quebec
, should have as their respective governors a single individual. The earlier post of Governor of St. John's Island thus came to be occupied by the overreaching authority of the governor-in-chief, who was represented in the colony by a lieutenant. The modern incarnation of the office, however, was established in 1873, upon Prince Edward Island's entry into Confederation
. Since that date, 27 lieutenant governors have served the province, amongst whom were notable firsts, such as Marion Loretta Reid
the first female lieutenant governor of the province and Joseph Alphonsus Bernard
the first lieutenant governor of Acadian
ancestry. The shortest mandate by a Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island was William Cleaver Francis Robinson
, from 1 July 1873 to 4 July 1874, while the longest was Thomas William Lemuel Prowse
, from 4 October 1950 to 31 March 1958.
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
representative in Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province
Monarchy in Prince Edward Island
By the arrangements of the Canadian federation, the Canadian monarchy operates in Prince Edward Island as the core of the province's Westminster-style parliamentary democracy...
but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada
Canadian federalism
Canada is a federation with two distinct jurisdictions of political authority: the country-wide federal government and the ten regionally-based provincial governments. It also has three territorial governments in the far north, though these are subject to the federal government...
and resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island is appointed in the same manner as the other provincial viceroys in Canada
Lieutenant Governor (Canada)
In Canada, a lieutenant governor is the viceregal representative in a provincial jurisdiction of the Canadian monarch and head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, who resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the United Kingdom...
and is similarly tasked with carrying out most of the monarch's constitutional and ceremonial duties. The present, and 28th, Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island is H. Frank Lewis, who has served in the role since 15 August 2011.
Role and presence
The Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island is vested with a number of governmental duties and is also expected to undertake various ceremonial roles. For instance, the lieutenant governor acts as patron, honorary president, or an honorary member of certain Prince Edward Island institutions, such as the Prince Edward Island Council of the ArtsPrince Edward Island Council of the Arts
The Prince Edward Island Council of the Arts , established in 1974, provides vital support to the arts on Prince Edward Island and acts as the province's arts funding agency comparable to like organizations in other Canadian Provinces...
, the Royal Commonwealth Society
Royal Commonwealth Society
The Royal Commonwealth Society is an international educational charity and a private members' club. Its mission is to support and promote the modern Commonwealth, its culture and core values...
of Prince Edward Island, and the Canadian Cancer Society
Canadian Cancer Society
The Canadian Cancer Society is a national, community-based charitable organization of volunteers whose mission is to eradicate cancer and enhance the quality of life of those living with the disease....
(Prince Edward Island division). Also, The viceroy, him or herself a member and Chancellor of the order, will induct deserving individuals into the Order of Prince Edward Island
Order of Prince Edward Island
The Order of Prince Edward Island is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island. Instituted in 1996 by Lieutenant Governor Gilbert Clements, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier Catherine Callbeck, the order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is...
and, upon installation, automatically becomes a Knight or Dame of Justice and the Vice-Prior in Prince Edward Island of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
. The viceroy further presents numerous other provincial honours and decorations, as well as various awards that are named for and presented by the lieutenant governor. These honours are presented at official ceremonies, which count amongst hundreds of other engagements the lieutenant governor partakes in each year, either as host or guest of honour; the Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island undertook an average of 350 engagements in both 2006 and 2007.
Flags of the Lieutenant Governors of Canada
As the viceregal representative of the monarch of Canada, the lieutenant governors of the Canadian provinces have since Confederation been entitled to and have used a personal standard. Within a lieutenant governor's province, this standard has precedence over any other flag, including the national...
, consisting of a blue field bearing the shield of the Arms of Her Majesty in Right of Prince Edward Island
Coat of arms of Prince Edward Island
The coat of arms of Prince Edward Island was begun when the shield and motto in the achievement were granted in 1905 by royal warrant of the King Edward VII.-History:In the chief of the shield is the lion passant of England...
surmounted by a crown and surrounded by ten gold maple leaves, symbolizing the ten provinces of Canada
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
. Within Prince Edward Island, the lieutenant governor also follows only the sovereign in the province's order of precedence
Order of precedence in Prince Edward Island
The Prince Edward Island order of precedence is a nominal and symbolic hierarchy of important positions within the province of Prince Edward Island...
, preceding even other members of the Canadian Royal Family and the Queen's federal representative
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
.
History
The office of Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island came into being in 1786, when the government of William PittWilliam Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24 . He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806...
adopted the idea that Prince Edward Island (then St. John's Island), along with New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, and Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, should have as their respective governors a single individual. The earlier post of Governor of St. John's Island thus came to be occupied by the overreaching authority of the governor-in-chief, who was represented in the colony by a lieutenant. The modern incarnation of the office, however, was established in 1873, upon Prince Edward Island's entry into Confederation
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
. Since that date, 27 lieutenant governors have served the province, amongst whom were notable firsts, such as Marion Loretta Reid
Marion Loretta Reid
Marion Loretta Reid, CM, O.PEI is a former Canadian politician, the first female Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island, and the 24th as well as first female, Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island...
the first female lieutenant governor of the province and Joseph Alphonsus Bernard
Joseph Alphonsus Bernard
Joseph Alphonse Bernard , which later evolved into the anglicized Joseph Alphonsus, was the 16th and first Acadian Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island, serving between 1945 and 1950....
the first lieutenant governor of Acadian
Acadian
The Acadians are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia . Acadia was a colony of New France...
ancestry. The shortest mandate by a Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island was William Cleaver Francis Robinson
William Cleaver Francis Robinson
Sir William Cleaver Francis Robinson GCMG was a British colonial administrator and a musical composer, being the author of several well known songs...
, from 1 July 1873 to 4 July 1874, while the longest was Thomas William Lemuel Prowse
Thomas William Lemuel Prowse
Thomas William Lemuel Prowse was a businessman and was the 17th Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island from 1950 to 1958....
, from 4 October 1950 to 31 March 1958.