The lieutenant governor of Newfoundland and Labrador () is the viceregal representative in

Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

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 realm A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state in the Commonwealth of Nations whose monarch and head of state is shared among the other realms. Each realm functions as an independent state, equal with the other realms and nations of the Commonwealt ...

s 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 continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

. 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 An ''ex officio'' member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office. The term '' ex officio'' is Latin, meaning literally 'from the office', and the sense intended is 'by right ...

'' is appointed as the Honorary Chief of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary 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 N ...

. 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 Roy ...

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 c ...

. 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 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 iss ...

, 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 Confederati ...

, from April to September 1949, while the longest was Leonard Outerbridge, 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