The lieutenant governor of Newfoundland and Labrador () is the

viceregal A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning "k ...

representative in

Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic Canada, Atlantic region. The province comprises t ...

of the , who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada, as well as the other Commonwealth realms and any subdivisions thereof, and resides predominantly in oldest realm, the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. The lieutenant governor of Newfoundland and Labrador 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 current, and 14th lieutenant governor of Newfoundland and Labrador is

Judy Foote Judy May Foote ( Crowley; born June 23, 1952) is a Canadian former politician, 14th and current lieutenant governor of Newfoundland and Labrador. She is the first woman to hold the position. Prior to her appointment as viceregal representative ...

, who has served in the role since 3 May 2018.

Role and presence

The lieutenant governor of Newfoundland and Labrador 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 Newfoundland and Labrador institutions and '' ex officio'' is appointed as the Honorary Chief of the

Royal Newfoundland Constabulary The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) is the provincial police service for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary is one of three provincial police forces in Canada, alongside the Ontario Provincial ...

and Honorary Colonel of the

Royal Newfoundland Regiment The Royal Newfoundland Regiment (R NFLD R) is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. It is part of the 5th Canadian Division's 37 Canadian Brigade Group. Predecessor units trace their origins to 1795, and since 1949 Royal New ...

. Also, the viceroy, him or herself a member and Chancellor of the order, will induct deserving individuals into the

Order of Newfoundland and Labrador The Order of Newfoundland and Labrador (french: Ordre du Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador) is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Instituted in 2001, when Lieutenant Governor Arthur Maxwell House granted Roya ...

and, upon installation, automatically becomes a Knight or Dame of Justice and the Vice-Prior in Newfoundland and Labrador of the

Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem The Order of St John, short for Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (french: l'ordre très vénérable de l'Hôpital de Saint-Jean de Jérusalem) and also known as St John International, is a British royal order of ...

. The viceroy further presents the Lieutenant Governor's Award for Excellence in Public Administration, the Newfoundland War Service Volunteer Medal, and numerous other provincial honours and decorations. 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 in 2006 undertook 418 engagements and 444 in 2007. At these events, the lieutenant governor's presence is marked by the lieutenant governor's standard, consisting of a blue field bearing the escutcheon of the Arms of Majesty in Right of Newfoundland and Labrador surmounted by a crown and surrounded by ten gold maple leaves, symbolizing the ten provinces of Canada. Within Newfoundland and Labrador, the lieutenant governor also follows only the sovereign in the province's

order of precedence An order of precedence is a sequential hierarchy of nominal importance and can be applied to individuals, groups, or organizations. Most often it is used in the context of people by many organizations and governments, for very formal and state o ...

, preceding even other members of the

Canadian Royal Family The monarchy of Canada is Canada's form of government embodied by the Canadian sovereign and head of state. It is at the core of Canada's constitutional federal structure and Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. The monarchy is the founda ...

and the King's federal representative.

History

Flag of the Governor of Newfoundland (1904–1975)

The lieutenant governor of Newfoundland came into being in 1949, upon Newfoundland's entry into

Confederation A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a union of sovereign groups or states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

, and evolved from the earlier position of proprietary governor of Newfoundland. Since that date, 14 lieutenant governors have served the province. The shortest mandate by a lieutenant governor of Newfoundland and Labrador was

Albert Walsh Sir Albert Joseph Walsh (April 3, 1900 – December 12, 1958) was Commissioner of Home Affairs and Education and chief justice of the Dominion of Newfoundland, and its first lieutenant governor upon its admission to the Canadian Confedera ...

, from April to September 1949, while the longest was

Leonard Outerbridge Sir Leonard Cecil Outerbridge, (May 6, 1888 – September 6, 1986) was the second lieutenant governor of Newfoundland from 1949 to 1957. In 1967, he became a Companion of the Order of Canada. Biography Leonard Outerbridge was born in Ashevil ...

, from 1949 to 1957. The first woman to serve as lieutenant governor was

, from 2018 to present.

References

External links

Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador
{{Representatives of the monarch in Commonwealth realms and Dominions *

Role and presence

History

See also

References

External links