Edward Youde

A uniform of Sir Edward Youde

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Sir Edward Youde (Chinese: 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.

Early years

Youde was born Penarth, Wales in the United Kingdom and attended the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies.

In 1949, Youde was serving on the frigate HMS Amethyst amidst the Chinese Civil War when it came under attack by People's Liberation Army forces. The frigate was heavily damaged by artillery fire and became stranded in the Yangtze River. Using his skills in Mandarin, Youde negotiated with the PLA commander to secure the release of the Amethyst. Following the Amethyst's escape from enemy territory, Youde was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his actions.

Governorship

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' potential in sport and the visual arts together with a normal academic syllabus was first mooted by Sir Edward Youde. Based upon this idea, the Jockey Club Ti-I College was founded in 1989.

Death and funeral

During a visit to Beijing, 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, which was conducted with the highest military honours in 1986. Sir Edward Youde was cremated, and his ashes buried at Canterbury Cathedral, England, where a memorial plaque to him was installed in the nave.

Remembrance and legacy

A fund, known as the Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund, was created from public contributions upon the recommendation of the Legislative Council. The fund is currently administered by the HKSAR Government and offers a number of scholarships and sponsorship schemes aimed at encouraging and promoting the education of and research by Hong Kong people. Eligibility Criteria for Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund be proficient in English and Chinese and also have a good mastery of the language in which their studies will be undertaken.

The Edward Youde Aviary in 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.

External links

• Edward Youde's memorial in Canterbury Cathedral (www.findagrave.com)

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