Spouses of the Prime Ministers of Canada
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The spouse of the Prime Minister of Canada is the wife or husband of the Prime Minister of Canada. As a public figure, the spouse will from time to time participate in various ceremonial, diplomatic, or partisan activities, alongside and on behalf of the Prime Minister and his or her government.
While the First Lady of the United States 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, Viceregal consorts of Canada). Although some commentators have tried to style prime ministers' 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 or title for the Prime Minister's spouse.
Some Prime Ministers' spouses have attracted a great deal of attention, however. Maryon Pearson was noted for her prickly wit, having made a number of famous quips which are still regularly featured in anthologies of famous quotations. Margaret Trudeau, whom Pierre Trudeau married while in office, became a notable celebrity in her own right. Maureen McTeer, spouse of Joe Clark, 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 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 Prime Ministers who were bachelors — William Lyon Mackenzie King and R.B. Bennett. Mackenzie Bowell, a widower whose wife Harriet passed away in 1884, was also not married during his term in office.
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.) Campbell had finalized her divorce from her second husband Howard Eddy in 1993 shortly before taking office as Prime Minister.
[edit] Spouses of the Prime Ministers
(*)The Trudeaus separated in 1977 but did not obtain a divorce until 1984.
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Master Lists | List of Prime Ministers of Canada • Graphical Timeline | |
Ranked | by time in office • by constituency • by religion • by place of birth • by longevity • by date of death • by age | |
Personal Information | residences of • military service of • education of • spouses of • children of • parents of | |
Related Lists | List of Canadian federal parliaments • Leaders of the Opposition • Political parties by time in office | |
Province of Canada PMs | Province of Canada PMs master list • Province of Canada PMs by time in office |