Unlike in the United States, the spouse of the Prime Minister of Canada does not have a prominent role. Although some commentators have tried to style prime minister's wives as First Lady of Canada, this title is not officially recognized. Use of the term is likely based more on the pervasive influence of American media than on any historical notions of a defined public role for the Prime Minister's spouse.
While the American First Lady has a number of responsibilities and usually her own staff, the same is not true of the spouse of the Prime Minister. This is partially a reflection of the much smaller role of the personal lives of politicians in Canadian media and the fact that the Canadian PM is not the head of state (see also Canadian Monarchy; Governor General of Canada).
Some Prime Ministers' spouses have attracted a great deal of attention, however. Margaret Trudeau, whom Pierre Trudeau married while in office, became a notable celebrity in her own right, especially during and after the couple's divorce. Maureen McTeer, spouse of Joe Clark, in turn, attracted controversy when she became the first spouse of a Prime Minister to retain her own surname after marriage. Mila Mulroney also rose to some notoriety due to her extravagant spending habits.
At times, Prime Ministers' wives have used their public status to promote charitable causes--Mila Mulroney was a spokesperson for the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and other children's charities and Aline Chrétien was an active campaigner for literacy programs.
Canada has also had two bachelor Prime Ministers - William Lyon Mackenzie King and R.B. Bennett.
Canada has also had one female Prime Minister, Kim Campbell. However, as she was not married during her term in office, there has never been a "husband of the Prime Minister" (although Campbell's first husband, Nathan Divinsky, did try to attract media attention in 1993 by billing himself as the ex-husband of the Prime Minister.)
| Rank | Name | Dates | Spouse of
|
|---|
| 1. | Susan Agnes Bernard | July 1, 1867 - November 5, 1873 | Sir John A. Macdonald
|
| 2. | Jane Sym | November 7, 1873 - October 8, 1878 | Alexander Mackenzie
|
| Susan Agnes Bernard | October 17, 1878 - June 6, 1891 | Sir John A. Macdonald
|
| 3. | Mary Bethune | June 16, 1891 - November 24, 1892 | Sir John Joseph Caldwell Abbott
|
| 4. | Annie Affleck | December 5, 1892 - December 12, 1894 | Sir John Sparrow David Thompson
|
| 5. | Harriet Moore | December 21, 1894 - April 27, 1896 | Sir Mackenzie Bowell
|
| 6. | Frances Morse | May 1, 1896 - July 8, 1896 | Sir Charles Tupper
|
| 7. | Zoe Lafontaine | July 11, 1896 - October 7, 1911 | Sir Wilfrid Laurier
|
| 8. | Laura Bond | October 10, 1911 - July 10, 1920 | Sir Robert Laird Borden
|
| 9. | Isabel J. Cox | July 10, 1920 - December 29, 1921 | Arthur Meighen
|
| Isabel J. Cox | June 29, 1926 - September 25, 1926 | Arthur Meighen
|
| 10. | Jeanne Renault | November 15, 1948 - June 21, 1957 | Louis Stephen St. Laurent
|
| 11. | Olive Palmer | June 21, 1957 - April 22, 1963 | John George Diefenbaker
|
| 12. | Maryon Moody | April 22, 1963 - April 20, 1968 | Lester Bowles Pearson
|
| 13. | Margaret Sinclair | March 4, 1971 - 1977* | Pierre Trudeau
|
| 14. | Maureen McTeer | June 4, 1979 - March 2, 1980 | Joe Clark
|
| 15. | Geills McCrae Kilgour | June 30, 1984 - September 17, 1984 | John Napier Turner
|
| 16. | Mila Pivnicki | September 17, 1984 - June 25, 1993 | Brian Mulroney
|
| 17. | Aline Chainé | November 4, 1993 - December 12, 2003 | Jean Chrétien
|
| 18. | Sheila Ann Cowan | December 12, 2003 - | Paul Martin
|
(*)The Trudeaus separated in 1977 but did not obtain a divorce until 1984.
Last updated: 08-21-2005 18:57:22
