Edward Youde

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Sir Edward Youde (尤德) GCMG, GCVO, MBE (19 June 1924 - 5 December 1986 in Beijing, China) was a British administrator, diplomat and Sinologist. He served as Governor of Hong Kong between 20 May 1982 and 5 December 1986.

[edit] Govenorship

Youde is mainly remembered as the Governor during whose time in office the Joint Declaration on the future of Hong Kong was signed in Peking in 1984. This, amongst other things, made it clear that the British would leave Hong Kong in 1997 after 156 years of colonial rule.

Youde, Hong Kong's only Welsh Governor, was widely liked for his pleasant, kindly demeanour and greatly admired for his formidable erudition. He was widely respected by the Chinese population of Hong Kong.

The idea of setting up a secondary school to develop students' potenial on visuals arts and sports with normal academic performance is from Sir Edward Youde. Jockey Club Ti-I College are founded in 1989 based on the idea of Sir Edward Youde.

[edit] Death and after

During a visit to Peking, Sir Edward suffered a fatal heart attack in the British Embassy in the early morning of 5 December 1986, while he was sleeping. He was the only Governor of Hong Kong to have died in office and many thousands lined the streets for his "state" funeral conducted in highest military honours in 1986. A fund established by public donation and administered by HKSAR Government, known as Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund, was created out of public contributions upon the recommendation of the Legislative Council. There are a number of scholarship and sponsorship schemes under the Fund which aim at encouraging and promoting the education and research of the Hong Kong people.

The Edward Youde Aviary in the Hong Kong Park was named after him in 1992 and the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital in Hong Kong was named after his wife. A plaque to his memory, was commissioned by the Hong Kong Civil Service and placed on the wall of St John's Cathedral, in the Central District of Hong Kong; a memorial plaque is also installed in the Canterbury Cathedral, England where his ashes was laid.

Political offices
Preceded by Lord MacLehose of Beoch	Governor of Hong Kong 1982 - 1986	Succeeded by Sir David Akers-Jones (Acting Governor)
Preceded by Lord MacLehose of Beoch	President of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong 1982 - 1986	Succeeded by Sir David Akers-Jones (Acting Governor)