Edward Youde

A uniform of Sir Edward Youde

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Sir Edward Youde (Chinese: 愛德華·尤德) GCMG GCVO MBE (19 June 1924 – 5 December 1986) 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 in 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 whose tenure saw the Sino-British Joint Declaration 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. In an editorial following his death, the Chinese-language Ming Pao newspaper compared him to Chu Ke Liang, a chancellor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, who had 'pledged to work diligently on state affairs until death.'^[1]

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 Youde. Based upon this idea, the Jockey Club Ti-I College was founded in 1989.

Death and state funeral

During a visit to Peking, Sir Edward suffered a fatal heart attack in the British Embassy in the early hours of 5 December 1986, while asleep. Heal is the only Governor of Hong Kong to have died in office; many lined the streets when he was given Hong Kong's first state funeral with full military honours.^[2] The casket was carried by ten guardsmen, draped in the Union Flag,^[3] and a 17-gun salute from the shore station of HMS Tamar was fired. Sir 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 now 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. To be eligible for the Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund candidates must be proficient in English and Chinese and also have a good mastery of the language in which their studies will be undertaken.^[4]

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.

References

External links

• Edward Youde's memorial in Canterbury Cathedral (www.findagrave.com)
• 5 December 1986 - TVB Pearl News File report on Sir Edward Youde's death

Governors of Hong Kong Pottinger Davis Bonham Bowring H. Robinson MacDonnell Kennedy Hennessy Bowen Des Vœux W. Robinson Blake Nathan Lugard May Stubbs Clementi Peel Caldecott Northcote Young Grantham Black Trench MacLehose Youde Wilson Patten