Government House of Prince Edward Island, often referred to as Fanningbank, is the official residence of the

lieutenant governor of Prince Edward Island The lieutenant governor of Prince Edward Island () is the representative in Prince Edward Island of the monarch, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada. The lieutenant go ...

. The vice-regal residence is located in the provincial capital of

Charlottetown Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County, Prince Edward Island, Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, Charlott ...

. It stands in the provincial capital at 1 Terry Fox Drive; while the equivalent building in many provinces has a prominent, central place in the capital, the site of

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island is an island Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. While it is the smallest province by land area and population, it is the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...

's Government House is relatively unobtrusive within Charlottetown, giving it more the character of a private home.

History

Government House was constructed between 1832 and 1834 as a viceregal residence for the

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

of the then

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

colony of Prince Edward Island. The land, a parcel of known as ''Fanning Bank'' or ''Fanning's Bank'', was in 1789 set aside by Lieutenant Governor Edmund Fanning as

Crown land Crown land, also known as royal domain, is a territorial area belonging to the monarch, who personifies the Crown. It is the equivalent of an entailed estate and passes with the monarchy, being inseparable from it. Today, in Commonwealth realm ...

, with the specific stipulation that it be used as the site for the governor's residence. In 1873, approximately was retained for Government House and its grounds. 40 acres was given to the City of Charlottetown and later became Victoria Park. Government House was designated a

National Historic Site of Canada National Historic Sites of Canada () are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), as being of national historic significance. Parks C ...

in 1971.

Use

Sign of the Platinum Jubilee Garden at Government House PEI

Government House is the official residence of the lieutenant governor and his or her spouse and "also serves as a centre of official hospitality in the province" where many distinguished visitors to Prince Edward Island are entertained. Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

and

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 19219 April 2021), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from h ...

stayed at the house during their royal visit in 1959. The house hosts events such as the bestowing of provincial awards or inductions into the

Order of Prince Edward Island The Order of Prince Edward Island is a civilian Award, honour for merit in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island. Instituted in 1996 by Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island, Lieutenant Governor Gilbert Clements, on the advice of th ...

, as well as luncheons, dinners, receptions, and speaking engagements. It is also at the vice-regal residence that the lieutenant governor drops the writs of election, swears-in new members of the Executive Council, and holds audiences with the

premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of govern ...

. The property is owned by the King in Right of Prince Edward Island and is open to the public for certain periods during the summer.

Architecture and interiors

The wood-frame building's architectural design is Georgian with echoes of the

Palladian Palladian architecture is a European architectural style derived from the work of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). What is today recognised as Palladian architecture evolved from his concepts of symmetry, perspective and ...

tradition. The two axis of the house converge on the main entrance hall, which has doric columns and

pilaster In architecture, a pilaster is both a load-bearing section of thickened wall or column integrated into a wall, and a purely decorative element in classical architecture which gives the appearance of a supporting column and articulates an ext ...

s and a double switchback stair leading to the second floor. The residence was designed by Yorkshire architect Isaac Smith, who also designed the Island's Colonial Building.

References

{{Prince Edward Island parks

Buildings and structures in Charlottetown National Historic Sites in Prince Edward Island Houses completed in 1834 Georgian architecture in Canada Historic buildings and structures in Prince Edward Island

History

Use

Architecture and interiors

See also

References