Re: A Canadian King, please

On Aug 22, 3:32 am, Donald4564 <dbi...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hmm, sounds like they forgot to defend Canada somewhere along the
line.

In between this verbal exchange of pleasantries I am reminded of the
situation in 1931 when Sir Isaac Isaacs, an eminent Australian jurist
was put forward as a candidate to become Governor-General of
Australia. Apparently His Late Majesty, King George V was dead against
having a citizen assuming the vice-regal function in his own country.
His Late Majesty had no problem with a citizen elevated to such a
role, however He was of the mind that an Australian should take the
post in Canada, a Canadian in New Zealand and so on.

Of course politicians got in the way and were very strong in their
'advice' to the Sovereign - so this sensible scheme was never put in
place. Australia continued after Sir Isaac Isaacs to receive
superannuated Brits in the post - and in the role of State Governors
until the 1980's.

Whilst most Brits handled the roles without controversy or animosity
on the part of Australians, I feel that if the King's suggestion had
been taken up, we would have had the opportunity today to have had
many erstwhile Commonwealth citizens in vice-regal roles which
certainly would have removed the taint of the Empire having been
centralised in London - a view that has unfortunately persisted and
ultimately led to the latterly wide-held belief that we are all
foreigners to one another. (Yes I know that unwarranted legislation
has been passed in some areas to reinforce this view).

However, there were several such cross country appointments of
colonial governors, not many, but some interesting ones. A former PM
of New Zealand. Two or three Canadian provincial ex-premiers served in
the West Indies. A Jamaican in the Leeward Islands. A Chinese in
Trinidad. A Barbadian in Guyana. A Maltese in several Australian
States. These being in addition to more usual examples where people
from one place or another joined the British colonial service and rose
up through the ranks. There was one Canadian who, I think, ended his
career as Governor-General of somewhere like Mauritius.

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: A Canadian King, please
    ... sounds like they forgot to defend Canada somewhere along the ... :> situation in 1931 when Sir Isaac Isaacs, an eminent Australian jurist ... Australia continued after Sir Isaac Isaacs to receive ... :> superannuated Brits in the post - and in the role of State Governors ...
    (alt.talk.royalty)
  • Re: A Canadian King, please
    ... :> situation in 1931 when Sir Isaac Isaacs, an eminent Australian jurist ... Australia continued after Sir Isaac Isaacs to receive ... :> superannuated Brits in the post - and in the role of State Governors ... And a few colonial governors wound up as the first Governors-General ...
    (alt.talk.royalty)
  • Re: A Canadian King, please
    ... colonial governors, not many, but some interesting ones. ... There was one Canadian who, I think, ended his ... If we are talking Governors, then there is also R.G. ... Casey an Australian who became Governor of Bengal. ...
    (alt.talk.royalty)
  • Re: Canadian English
    ... I'm quite familiar with US and UK usage in addition to Australian (I live in ... I hardly ever write in Canadian English, ... Australian English dictionaries reject "color" etc equally, ...
    (microsoft.public.mac.office.word)
  • Re: Why wasnt the British army semi-elite?
    ... >> I am speaking of pilots who carried American, Canadian, South African, ... There was no such thing as a Canadian passport during WW2. ... Passports carried during WW2 by Canadians ... The same goes for Australian citizenship. ...
    (soc.history.war.world-war-ii)