Adrienne Clarkson 伍冰枝 | |
|---|---|
 Clarkson in 2011 | |
| 26th Governor General of Canada | |
| In office October 7, 1999 – September 27, 2005 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Prime Minister | |
| Preceded by | Roméo LeBlanc |
| Succeeded by | Michaëlle Jean |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Adrienne Louise Poy February 10, 1939 Victoria, Hong Kong |
| Spouses | |
| Parent |
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| Alma mater | |
| Profession | Journalist |
| Chinese name | |
| Chinese | 伍冰枝 |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Wǔ Bīngzhī |
| Jyutping | Ng5 Bing1-zi1 |
Adrienne Louise Clarkson PC CC CMM COM CD FRSC(hon) FRAIC(hon) FRCPSC(hon) (Chinese: 伍冰枝; née Poy; born February 10, 1939) is a Hong Kong–born Canadian journalist and stateswoman who served as the 26th governor general of Canada from 1999 to 2005.
Clarkson arrived in Canada with her family in 1941, as a refugee from Japanese-occupied Hong Kong, and was raised in Ottawa. After receiving a number of university degrees, Clarkson worked as a producer and broadcaster for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and a journalist for various magazines. Her first diplomatic posting came in the early 1980s, when she promoted Ontarian culture in France and other European countries. In 1999, she was appointed Governor General by Queen Elizabeth II, on the recommendation of Prime Minister of Canada Jean Chrétien, to replace Roméo LeBlanc as viceroy, a post which she occupied until 2005, when she was succeeded by Michaëlle Jean. While Clarkson's appointment as the Canadian vicereine was generally welcomed at first, she caused some controversy during her time serving as the Queen's representative, mostly due to costs incurred in the operation of her office, as well as a somewhat anti-monarchist attitude toward the position.
On October 3, 2005, Clarkson was sworn into the Queen's Privy Council for Canada.[1] She subsequently published her memoirs, founded the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, and became Colonel-in-Chief of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.
- ^ Privy Council Office (October 30, 2008). "Information Resources > Current Chronological List of Members of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada > 2001 –". Queen's Printer for Canada. Archived from the original on February 15, 2016. Retrieved February 27, 2009.