Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander

The last British Governor General of Canada was born in the family of the 4th Earl of Caledon. He was educated at Harrow and then pursued a military career by attending the Royal Military College (Sandhurst). Commissioned in the Irish Guards in 1911, Lord Alexander was wounded twice and received several awards during World War I. By 1937 he was the youngest major-general in the British army. He led the 1st Division in France in 1940 and the rearguard at Dunkirk, directed the British-Chinese army's retreat from the Japanese invasion of Burma (1942), and from August 1942 was senior army commander in the Mediterranean. He was promoted to Field Marshal in 1944 after the capture of Tunis (1943) and subsequently captured Rome in 1944. In May 1945, he imposed terms of unconditional surrender on the German armies in south-western Europe. Lord Alexander was slated to become chief of the Imperial General Staff after the war, but the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill insisted on his appointment as Governor General of Canada. Handsome, athletic, elegant, and assisted by a popular wife, Lady Margaret, Alexander made a strong public impression as governor general. At ease in an essentially ceremonial role, he traveled widely and led a relaxed life, with ample time to ski, fish and paint. The Letters Patent of King George VI (effective 1 Oct 1947) gave the Governor General of Canada all of king's powers and authorities in respect of Canada. In 1949 Newfoundland entered Confederation, and Alexander paid a visit to the new province. The Governor General also visited the Canadian forces in Korea during the war against the Communist regime of North Korea; was appointed and sworn in as a member of Privy Council of Canada (29 Jan 1952). On his return to England he was sworn in as U.K. Privy Counselor (29 Feb 1952) and served as Minister of Defense in the Churchill's third government (29 Feb 1952 - 18 Oct 1954).