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Albert Henry
George Grey, the 4th Earl Grey and
Canada's ninth Governor General, was no
stranger to public service.
Born
in St James Palace, London, on November
28th, 1851, he was the son of the
Honourable Sir Charles Grey, a private
secretary to Queen Victoria for many
years, and a grandson of a former
British Prime Minister.
He
attended harrow and Trinity College,
Cambridge; began his public life as a
member of the House of Commons, then
entered the House of Lords when he
succeeded to the Earldom on the death of
a childless uncle.
A
strong Empire supporter, he visited the
British possessions extensively and was
a close friend of Cecil Rhodes, the
South African statesman and developer,
who appointed him Commissioner of
Rhodesia.
n
1904, he was named Governor General to
succeed his brother in law, Lord Minto,
and accepted the post eagerly. Following
what had become a tradition, Grey and his
Countess travelled widely throughout
Canada and also made successful goodwill
trips to the United States.
Lord
Grey was deeply interested in
conservation and development of our
forest wealth and in penal reform. He
had an abounded faith in the future of
Canada and predicted that it would have
a population of 80,000,000 before the
century.
An
ardent sports fan, Earl Grey instituted
the Grey Cup which remains emblematic of
senior football supremacy in Canada. He
was prominent in the elaborate
celebration of the 300th anniversary of
the founding of Quebec City and
influenced the decision to have the 1759
battlefield designated as a national
Park. He also contributed to the
preservation of other historic sites.
Because of his popularity and his own
wishes, Grey's term was extended in
1909, and he remained in Canada almost 7
years. Returning to England in 1911, he
devoted himself to various social works
and died at Howick in 1917. He was
succeeded by his son, Lord Howick. . |
