Gabrielle Léger, (May 25, 1916 – March 10, 1998) was the wife of the 21st

Governor General of Canada The governor general of Canada (french: gouverneure générale du Canada) is the federal viceregal representative of the . The is head of state of Canada and the 14 other Commonwealth realms, but resides in oldest and most populous realm ...

Jules Léger Joseph Jules Léger (April 4, 1913November 22, 1980) was a Canadian diplomat and statesman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 21st since Canadian Confederation. Léger was born and educated in Quebec and France prior to starting a ca ...

and was the

Viceregal consort 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 ...

. Born Gabrielle Carmel in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...

, she was introduced to Jules Léger, a lawyer studying at the

Sorbonne Sorbonne may refer to: * Sorbonne (building), historic building in Paris, which housed the University of Paris and is now shared among multiple universities. *the University of Paris (c. 1150 – 1970) *one of its components or linked institution, ...

, by friends in 1937 while in Paris and they married on August 13, 1938. They had two daughters Francine and Helene. One of them died in May 1968. Six months after being appointed Governor General in 1974, Jules Léger suffered a stroke. Gabrielle assisted in his rehabilitation by helping him to learn to speak and walk again. She also read the Governor General New Year's message in 1975 and became the first woman to read passages from the

Speech from the Throne A speech from the throne, or throne speech, is an event in certain monarchies in which the reigning sovereign, or a representative thereof, reads a prepared speech to members of the nation's legislature when a session is opened, outlining t ...

in 1976 when she read it along with Jules Léger. Her contributions to her husband's term were recognized by her inclusion in Mr. Léger's official portrait, which hangs in the Entrance Hall at Rideau Hall. Gabrielle Léger was the first spouse to have been featured in a portrait along with the Governor General. The right honourable Michaëlle Jean`s husband Jean Daniel-Lafond is also included in her official portrait. From 1979 to 1985, she was the

Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

of the

University of Ottawa The University of Ottawa (french: Université d'Ottawa), often referred to as uOttawa or U of O, is a bilingual public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on directly to the northeast of Downtown Ottaw ...

. Gabrielle Léger was named co-president along with Cardinal

Paul-Émile Léger Paul-Émile Léger (April 26, 1904 – November 13, 1991) was a Canadian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Montreal from 1950 to 1967, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1953 by Pope Pius XII. Early life and ...

of the Jules and Paul-Émile Léger Foundation when it was created by a special act of the Canadian Parliament in 1981. In 1974, she was made a Companion of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the cen ...

as the "spouse of the twenty-first Governor General of Canada".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leger, Gabrielle 1916 births 1998 deaths Canadian viceregal consorts Chancellors of the University of Ottawa Companions of the Order of Canada People from Montreal