Adrienne Clarkson | |
|---|---|
| 伍冰枝 | |
 Clarkson in 2011 | |
| 26th Governor General of Canada | |
| In office October 7, 1999 – September 27, 2005 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Prime Minister | |
| Preceded by | Roméo LeBlanc |
| Succeeded by | Michaëlle Jean |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Adrienne Louise Poy (1939-02-10)February 10, 1939 (age 87) |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent |
|
| Alma mater | |
| Profession | Journalist |
| Chinese name | |
| Chinese | 伍冰枝 |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Wǔ Bīngzhī |
| Jyutping | Ng5 Bing1-zi1 |
Adrienne Louise Clarkson (Chinese:伍冰枝;née Poy; born February 10, 1939) is a Canadian journalist and stateswoman who served as the 26thgovernor general of Canada from 1999 to 2005.
Clarkson arrived in Canada with her family in 1941, as arefugee fromJapanese-occupied Hong Kong, and was raised inOttawa. After receiving a number of university degrees, Clarkson worked as a producer and broadcaster for theCanadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and a journalist for various magazines. Her first diplomatic posting came in the early 1980s, when she promotedOntarian culture inFrance and otherEuropean countries. In 1999, she was appointedGovernor General by QueenElizabeth II, on the recommendation ofPrime Minister of CanadaJean Chrétien, to replaceRoméo LeBlanc asviceroy, a post which she occupied until 2005, when she was succeeded byMichaëlle Jean. While Clarkson's appointment as the Canadian vicereine was generally welcomed at first, she caused some controversy during her time serving as the Queen's representative, mostly due to costs incurred in the operation of her office, as well as a somewhat anti-monarchist attitude toward the position.
On October 3, 2005, Clarkson was sworn into theQueen's Privy Council for Canada.[1] She subsequently published her memoirs, founded the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, and became Colonel-in-Chief ofPrincess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.
Clarkson is aChinese Canadian whoseancestry lies from theTaishanese (paternal line) andHakka (maternal line) peoples inGuangdong, China.[2] Her paternal grandfather (伍培;ng5 pui4;Wǔ Péi) immigrated in the late 19th century toChiltern, Australia. There, he operated a general store calledWillie Ah Poy Fruitier and Confectioner,Ah Poy being his name in thevocative, based on theTaishanese pronunciation, and what Australian immigration officials heard Poy enunciate in response to their request for his name.[3] Poy's first son,William, was born inVictoria but was later sent back to Taishan, from where he made his way toHong Kong. There, he worked with his father for theCanadian government and met and married Ethel Poy, with whom he had two children:Neville, born October 29, 1934, and Adrienne, born February 10, 1939. The elder went on to become a plastic surgeon inToronto and marriedVivienne Lee, who herself became aSenator.[4]
Clarkson describes one of her earliest memories as that of hiding in several Hong Kong basements during theJapanese invasion of the territory in 1941. It was only through his Canadian government connections that her father gained his family the opportunity in 1942 to flee the occupation toCanada, as part of the repatriating of Canadian government staff from the fallen city. Even so, theChinese Immigration Act, 1923, prevented the Poys' immediate entry into the country until theDepartment of External Affairs intervened and cited an unfilled quota in the prisoner of war exchange programme with theJapanese Imperial Forces that would permit the Poy family free passage into Canada.[5] The family settled inOttawa, though William had lost almost all of his substantial fortune, and the Poys lived in a cramped duplex.[4] Clarkson attended public school in the city and, in October 1951, was lined up with her class to seePrincess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh (later Queen Elizabeth II), as the royal motorcade passed through the city.[6]
Clarkson graduated fromLisgar Collegiate Institute in 1956, afterwards enrolling at theUniversity of Toronto'sTrinity College. During her time there, Clarkson won a Governor General's Medal inEnglish before graduating in 1960 with aBachelor of Arts degree with honours in the subject, and then travelling with her parents toEast andSoutheast Asia. Clarkson went on to obtain her master's degree in English literature, also at the University of Toronto.[7] She began post-graduate work in 1962, at theSorbonne inParis, France, with a thesis on the poems ofGeorge Meredith.
After being introduced by a college friend in 1965 to the producers ofTake 30—an afternoon variety show run by theCanadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)—Clarkson was hired by theCrown corporation as a freelance book reviewer. This marked the start of her nearly 30-year career with the CBC, as, after less than a year in her initial position, Clarkson was promoted to co-host, thus becoming one of the first members of avisible minority to obtain a prominent position on Canadian television. She remained withTake 30 for a decade, while also branching into print journalism by becoming a regular contributor to such publications asMaclean's andChatelaine. Similarly, Clarkson wrote and published her own romantic fiction novels:A Lover More Condoling in 1968, andHunger Trace in 1970.[8] Beyond these, her non-fiction bookTrue to You in My Fashion: A Woman Talks to Men About Marriage—a collection of interviews with men on the subject of divorce—was published in 1971, during which time her first marriage had hit a hard patch.
In 1974, Clarkson began her own public affairs television showAdrienne at Large, though this was not particularly successful and lasted less than four months. The series did, however, allow her to travel extensively outside of Canada, as she recorded segments for the show in locations such asSouth Africa (where she interviewedNadine Gordimer andHelen Suzman), and her nativeHong Kong. With the cancellation of the show, the CBC created in 1975 the hard journalism programmeThe Fifth Estate as a means for meetingCanadian content requirements. Clarkson was brought on to co-host withWarner Troyer for the first season, but, due to persistent problems between the two, Troyer left the series, leaving Clarkson to host with Peter Reilly and Eric Malling thereafter. She focused oninvestigative journalism and gained prominence after an in-depth study of theMcCain family's business practices led a Senator to publicly accuse her of being un-naturalised.[4]
After winning severalACTRA Awards, Clarkson ended her job withThe Fifth Estate in 1983 and was subsequently appointed by theLieutenant Governor of Ontario,John Black Aird, on theadvice of hisPremier,William Davis, as the Agent General forOntario inFrance, acting in this role as a cultural liaison between the province and the country, as well as promoting Ontario in several otherEuropean states. After five years at this post, she returned to private business, becoming president and publisher ofMcClelland and Stewart, at a time when the publisher was in financial difficulty. Clarkson was not only unsuccessful at improving the company's fiscal problems, she was also highly unpopular with employees, and resigned herself after 18 months that saw several protest resignations; theimprintAdrienne Clarkson Books does, however, remain with McClelland and Stewart.
Clarkson opted to return to television, hosting through mid-1988Adrienne Clarkson Summer Festival, which became popular enough to be picked up and repackaged asAdrienne Clarkson Presents, an arts show that was critically acclaimed, but which never received high ratings. After four years of hosting the show, Clarkson was appointed as an Officer of theOrder of Canada for her long media career, which included hosting more than 3,500 television programmes, as well as assisting charitable organisations, such as theKidney Foundation of Canada, Horizons of Canada, andInternational PEN.[9] Further, as host andexecutive producer ofAdrienne Clarkson Presents, she received numerousGemini Award nominations—winning in 1993 for best host in a light information, variety, or performing arts programme or series—and was the 1995 recipient of theDonald Brittain Award, a special honour given every year for the best social/political documentary programme. In the same year, she also won aGémeaux Award (the French language equivalent of a Gemini) forAdrienne Clarkson Presents. Her precise diction and sometimes haughty demeanour did sometimes become the occasional subject of satire, however; most famously in the CBC Radio seriesDouble Exposure, where co-creator Linda Cullen mimicked Clarkson with the line: "I'm Adrienne Clarkson, and you're not" (derived fromChevy Chase's earlySaturday Night Live refrain).
Throughout the 1990s—during which time she also wrote and produced films, such asThe Lust In His Eye: Visions of James Wilson Morrice andBorduas and Me and Artemisia[8]—there was much speculation that Clarkson would soon be given a high level appointment by theQueen-in-Council. This was finally realized in 1995 whenPrime MinisterJean Chrétien and thenMinister of Canadian HeritageMichel Dupuy advised Governor GeneralRoméo LeBlanc to appoint Clarkson as chair of the board of theCanadian Museum of Civilization, and later, to theCanadian War Museum as well, all while she continued to host her show.[10] It was during this time that the War Museum announced the decision to build the structure which now houses its collection, and which Clarkson opened as Governor General in May 2005.[11]
Clarkson was the first visible minority andrefugee to be appointedgovernor general, and the second woman (afterJeanne Sauvé), the firstChinese Canadian, and the first without a military or political background. She was also the second person to have been appointed to theOrder of Canada prior to nomination as governor general-designate, afterJules Léger. Clarkson brought with her a new approach to the governor generalcy, and dedicated much of her self-imposed mandate to drawing national attention toNorthern Canada.
It was on September 8, 1999, announced from theOffice of the Prime Minister of Canada thatQueenElizabeth II had approvedPrime MinisterJean Chrétien's choice of Clarkson to succeedRoméo LeBlanc as the Queen's representative.[12][13] The commission appointing Clarkson was issued on September 28 under theroyal sign-manual andGreat Seal of Canada.[14] At the time of the announcement of her appointment, it was revealed that, with Clarkson being accompanied toRideau Hall by her longtime partner,John Ralston Saul, the official appointment would be bringing an unofficial pair to the viceregal post,[4][8] in that the governor general would not be the only person actively exploring Canadian theory and culture.
On October 8, 1999, Clarkson was sworn in as the 26th Governor General of Canada, and was soon actively participating in her role, becoming immediately instrumental in the final stages of the repatriation ofCanada's unknown soldier fromFrance.[15] Her eulogy read atthe tomb's dedication ceremony on May 28, 2000, was described by theRoyal Canadian Legion as "powerful",[16] and led journalistJohn Fraser to state: "You have to go back pretty far to find anyone who stirred national emotions the way Clarkson did with her magnificent speech..."[17] In the same vein, after a decade of inaction on the part of theCabinet, Clarkson moved to havePrincess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry honoured with the Commander-in-Chief's Unit Commendation, on behalf of the Queen,[17] beginning a long relationship between Clarkson and the regiment.
Following theterrorist attacks United States on September 11, 2001, Clarkson praisedOperation Yellow Ribbon, saying "communities across the country selflessly opened their homes and hearts to stranded air travellers", and, on September 14, 2001, presided over a memorial service onParliament Hill for the victims of the attacks, which was attended by over 100,000 people—the largest singlevigil ever seen in Canada's capital.[18] On her cabinet's advice, Clarkson subsequently dispatchedCanadian soldiers to assist in theinvasion of Afghanistan, and, in her role of representing the Queen ascommander-in-chief of the Canadian Forces, visited in 2002 the Canadian troops serving in the Afghantheatre. This trip, plus similar ones she undertook during her tenure—such as those toKosovo to meet with Canadian troops, to thePersian Gulf to spendChristmas with members of the Armed Forces on aCanadian destroyer, and again to Afghanistan to spend New Year's with Canadian soldiers—won her acclaim for being the first governor general since at least 1945 to take seriously the duties associated with the commander-in-chief title,[19] which was credited for helping to boost pride in the Canadian Forces.
Clarkson took a proactive role in increasing the stature of the Canadian viceregal office, travelling widely, hosting lavish state events, and hosting conferences and forums. However, criticism soon ensued over the way her office was spending Crown funds, as, during her tenure, expenditures at Rideau Hall increased 200%; the budget for 2003 was estimated atCAD$41 million. Part of this increase was due to accounting reasons; some costs that had previously been worked into the budgets of ministries were transferred to the governor general's office. But, the event that the media mostly focused on was Clarkson's 2003, 19-day circumpolar "northern identity" tour, which includedstate visits toRussia,Finland, andIceland, and the attendance of 50 other Canadians prominent in the fields of arts, culture, and science. In an atmosphere tainted by several spending scandals in the government, the trip's estimated CAD$1 million cost was attacked as a waste of money.[20] All together, this resulted in some politicians calling for the role of the governor general to be reduced or even for the position to be eliminated, and a poll taken late in 2003 found a majority of respondents thought Clarkson was "too grand" for the office. In an unprecedented move for a vicereine, Clarkson, and not her ministers, personally addressed the controversy, explaining that she had been asked to undertake the state visits by her prime minister.[20] Still, though the Office of the Governor General defended the tour as successful, particularly with regard to the warm reception Clarkson received in Russia and during her meeting withRussian presidentVladimir Putin, and it was theDepartment of Foreign Affairs that commissioned and paid for the trip with funds approved byparliament. When the end cost for the trips came in at CAD$5 million, a scheduled continuation of the tour that would have included visits toSweden,Denmark,Norway, andGreenland was scrapped by the federal government in early 2004.[21]John Fraser later stated Prime MinisterPaul Martin left Clarkson to defend herself because he "clearly didn't like her very much" and "even if it was Madam Clarkson's (and John Ralston Saul's) own imaginative idea, it had been officially supported by the government, and no appointed high official should ever be abandoned like that. Not only should she have been defended publicly, we were made to look foolish in the eyes of the countries who had to be informed that the trip to such great allies as Sweden, Norway and Denmark (plus its province of Greenland) was called off".[22]
From that time on, Clarkson and her office faced intense scrutiny. By November 2004, it was announced that Clarkson's budget would be cut by ten percent, despite the fact that parliament itself had approved her budget each year. Then, in March 2005, she again faced questions about spending after it was reported that she had been advised by Martin to make official visits toSpain, theNetherlands, and Russia in order to attend thestate funeral of the victims of theMadrid terrorist bombings, the 60th anniversary of theliberation of the Netherlands, and participate inVictory in Europe Day celebrations inMoscow, respectively.[23][24] Clarkson waited until less than two weeks after the end of her time serving as governor general before she publicly criticised Jean Chrétien and the Cabinet under his chairmanship for not defending the viceregal office, and reaffirmed that she had been asked by the Department of Foreign Affairs to take each of her state trips in the first place.[25]
At the same time, Clarkson's unorthodox mode of exercising the Office of the Governor General led to negative critiques of how she carried out a number of ceremonial duties. In June 2004, the Governor General and her office were targeted byCanadian monarchists, who noted that, prior to the ceremony to recognize Canada's involvement atJuno Beach in theD-Day landings of 1944, Government House claimed that Clarkson would be attending as Canada'shead of state and, at the event, the Queen, who also attended the ceremony, was relegated to third place in precedence behind Clarkson and Saul.[26]Jack Granatstein alleged that this arrangement had displeased the Queen and "there was fury."[27] Government House later retracted its head of state statement, saying that it was the error of a junior official, but why the protocol was altered was never explained.[28] AtRemembrance Day ceremonies, the Governor General also caused a stir when she eschewed the tradition of placing the first wreath at thecenotaph in favour of doing so simultaneously with her husband; a practice that was discontinued by Clarkson's viceregal successor. Then, during a visit toVancouver in September of the same year, Clarkson was booed and hissed at by a small but vocal group of protesters. She was on a goodwill tour of a poor area of the city; however, the protesters argued that her visit was nothing more than a publicity stunt to try to gain some of her lost popular support to get her time in office extended.
In January 2005, disappointment was further expressed over Clarkson's failure to attend a memorial service forAlberta's latelieutenant governor,Lois Hole.[29][30] Rideau Hall issued a statement saying the Governor General was, at the time, abroad representing Canada at the inauguration of thePresident of Ukraine,Victor Yushchenko. However, the inauguration was postponed, and it was felt that Clarkson could have returned to Canada for the service. When it was later reported by theToronto Sun andThe Globe and Mail that Clarkson would wait in Paris, France, for the rescheduled presidential investiture, more outrage was expressed in the press, which was only compounded when Rideau Hall informed the public that the Governor General would also attend a "long-standing engagement" with the Queen atSandringham House, contradicting reports thatBuckingham Palace had said the dinner was actually booked at the last minute. In response, some monarchists began lobbying Clarkson to resign, had she willingly used the Queen for publicity and damage control purposes.
Regardless of the controversies, Clarkson was asked, and agreed, to remain in the Queen's service for an additional year beyond the traditional, but not official, five-year period. Though the decision was met with mixed feelings from across the country,[31] Prime Minister Martin had advised the Queen to retain Clarkson as her vicereine in order to provide stability while the country faced potential constitutional difficulties arising from aminority government; there had been speculation at the end of 2004 over whether or not Clarkson would have to become directly involved in politics should the Cabinet led by Paul Martin lose theconfidence of theHouse of Commons, leaving the Governor General to decide whether or not to ask the leader ofHer Majesty's Loyal Opposition, thenStephen Harper, to form a government, or to call a general election. Ultimately, circumstances played out so that Clarkson's personal involvement was rendered unnecessary.[32]
Soon after, however, on July 8, 2005, Clarkson was admitted to hospital inToronto in order to have apacemaker implanted. She recovered quickly,[32] and returned to her viceregal duties in the same month. To coincide with that year's 50th anniversary of the appointment of the first Canadian-born governor general, Clarkson moved Order of Canada investitures from their typical location in Rideau Hall to various places around the country.[17] Also, on July 23, 2005, Clarkson was inducted as an honorary member of theKainai Chieftainship, during a traditional ceremony held at Red Crow Park, near Standoff,Alberta, after which she was adopted into the Blood Tribe with the nameGrandmother of Many Nations; this made Clarkson the first governor general sinceEdward Schreyer in 1984 to be made an honorary chief, and only the third woman to be inducted since the creation of the chieftainship. Then, on September 15, 2005, Clarkson announced the creation of theGovernor General's Northern Medal, to be awarded annually to a citizen whose actions and achievements had contributed to the evolution and constant reaffirmation of the Canadian North as part of the national identity.[33]
During her last days in office, Clarkson's popularity with the Armed Forces was expressed in a large farewell ceremony mounted by the military; the first ever such send-off for a governor general. Similarly, on the morning of September 26, 2005, Clarkson attended a celebration on Parliament Hill in whichMember of Parliament thanked her for her work and presented her with theviceregal flag that flew atop thePeace Tower when Clarkson was present in parliament.[34] Then, following tradition, Clarkson and Saul planted on Rideau Hall's grounds, two ceremonial trees (swamp white oaks) to mark the end of the former's time in office,[35] and the next day, Clarkson's time as vicereine ended when her successor,Michaëlle Jean, was sworn in as Governor General of Canada. However, Clarkson caused yet another controversy when she decided, with Jean's consent, to attend Jean's investiture, marking the first time in more than a century that a governor general had attended the swearing-in of his or her successor.[34]
Clarkson was seen as having brought new life to the post of governor general, receiving praise through her first years in office for being a more modern governor general who brought increased public attention to the position;[17][29][32][36][37] Michaëlle Jean recognised Clarkson as having "infused the office with a new energy", for "promot[ing] artists and their achievements from across Canada", and for her "close work with aboriginal communities". Clarkson was further praised for her devotion to the armed forces and remembrance,[37] and was credited for breathing new life into the Canadian monarchy as a whole;Mailo' Ken Wiwa stated inThe Globe and Mail: "that Adrienne Clarkson, once a refugee, represents the Queen here in Canada is, for me, the singular most important reason for believing that the monarchy is relevant to Canada's emerging identity. Her role may only be ceremonial and symbolic, but as the enduring quality of the Royal Family attests, you can never underestimate the power of myth. Even— or rather, especially— in this iconoclastic age."[38] Clarkson and her husband also travelled across Canada and met more Canadians than any other governor general in Canadian history and, unlike many other state figures, Clarkson also wrote most of her own speeches, which were noted for being simultaneously intellectual and approachable.[17] Clarkson's tenure was also notable for her patronage of all the arts— making such efforts as ensuring the governor general's study at Rideau Hall had copies of every book that had won theGovernor General's Awards for literature— and for sports, as demonstrated in her creation on September 14, 2005, of theClarkson Cup for women'shockey in Canada. John Fraser in 2012 stated of Clarkson: "[N]o one, in the whole history of Rideau Hall, ever evoked the country quite as effectively".[22]
Other summaries of Clarkson's time as governor general, however, found that the increased travel abroad attracted negative attention to the viceregal post over costs and caused conflict between domestic duties and foreign obligations. Also, it was observed that Clarkson had succumbed too easily to the desires of her advisors— both in the prime minister's andPrivy Council offices, as well as amongst the staff of Government House— to turn the viceregal post into something it was not: Canada's head of state. Clarkson had expressed admiration for the Queen, was said to understand "the lustre the Crown affords," and to have "shudder[ed] a little in sympathy with members of the Royal Family at the degree of intrusion into their lives they must bear."[17] But the systematic downplaying of the monarch led to confusion over who was head of state and there was a sense that,[29] by taking this view, Clarkson and her office were overturning the long-standing theory that all the viceroys and their respective jurisdictions are equal under a sovereign who reigns consistently over the whole country.[39][40] When Clarkson attended a provincial occasion, her protocol officers insisted that she take precedence over the pertinent lieutenant governor and denied knowledge of the established order in which the lieutenant governor, as a direct representative of the Queen in a province, takes precedence at a provincial function over all other attendees, save for the monarch. These situations would result in "precedence battles", in which the provincial authorities would frequently acquiesce to pressure and ultimatums from Rideau Hall.[41] Clarkson also took the place of the monarch in presenting to the next vicereine the Chancellor's insignia of theOrder of Canada, thereby breaking the order's "first and oldest tradition"; a move Canada's expert on honours,Christopher McCreery, called "a rather bizarre turn of events".[42] TheMonarchist League of Canada even reported that a member of parliament had telephoned to ask if they had ever before heard of the eruption of booing at the mention of the governor general's name, as had apparently happened in the MP's riding when Clarkson was spoken about.[29]
After leaving Rideau Hall, Clarkson and Saul purchased a new home in Toronto'sthe Annex district, taking possession at the end of September 2005. She also signed a deal withPenguin Canada to publish her memoirs in two books. The first,Heart Matters, was published in September 2006, making Clarkson the third former governor general to release an autobiography.[n 1] In the first half of the book, Clarkson outlined her childhood in Ottawa and her career in the CBC, while the second half covered her time as governor general, and contained her own positive views of Jean Chrétien and negative views of Paul Martin. The book was met with mixed reviews, however,[n 2] and her expressed opinion that future nominees for appointment as governor general should be voted on in the House of Commons was condemned by monarchists, though supported byMacleans.[45]
During an October 2006 interview onCBC Newsworld withDon Newman, Clarkson spoke her views on the nature of the position of Governor General of Canada, stating that while the Queen remained popular with Canadians, the governor general was now the direct representative of "the Crown", and not of the monarch, therefore making the viceroy Canada's actual head of state. This was a theory contrary to those ofEugene Forsey, the government of Canada itself, and numerous others, but was in line withEdward McWhinney. Into 2009, Clarkson continued to promote this notion, stating at a constitutional law conference that the governor general embodied the nation and the prime minister's nominee for the viceregal role should thus be vetted by a parliamentary committee, in a similar format toCongressional Confirmation Hearings in theUnited States.[46] She then went further to say that the candidate should also submit to a televised quiz onCanadiana.[47] Though a University of Toronto political scientist stated this would "strengthen the legitimacy of the governor-general as a non-partisan umpire," the editorial board of theMontrealGazette said that the position being "not elected is an asset, not a handicap" and Clarkson's process would undermine the impartiality of the viceroy.[48]
On February 7, 2007, Clarkson was appointed by the Queen asColonel-in-Chief ofPrincess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, replacingthe Countess Mountbatten of Burma, and commented that she was "deeply honoured" and proud to accept the role.[49] The ceremony to mark her appointment took place on March 17 at the regimental headquarters inEdmonton.[50] Clarkson is also vice-chair of the board of directors of the dance companyLa La La Human Steps and, in 2014, was announced as the presenter of that year'sMassey Lectures.[51] Her lectures, which were also published in book form, were on the theme of "Belonging: The Paradox of Citizenship".[51]
Since the 1980s, Clarkson has been in a relationship with Canadian writer and philosopherJohn Ralston Saul. In 1963, Clarkson marriedStephen Clarkson, a University of Torontopolitical science professor. Together, the couple had three daughters: Kyra, born in 1969, and twins Blaise and Chloe, born in 1971; at the age of nine months, however, Chloe died ofsudden infant death syndrome. Adrienne and Stephendivorced four years later. Her daughters have been estranged from her and were adopted by Christine McCall, Stephen Clarkson's second wife.[52] Blaise is a family doctor in Toronto[52][53] and Kyra an architect in New York and since relocated back to Toronto.[54]
A member of theChurch of St. Mary Magdalene, Clarkson is a devoutAnglican, as is her entire family going back five generations, with her uncle being apriest in theAnglican Church in Hong Kong. Clarkson chose to attend Trinity College at the University of Toronto because of its Anglican associations, and, while there, she casually dated divinity studentMichael Peers, who would later become anarchbishop andprimate of the Anglican Church of Canada. This friendship was maintained over the years, and Peers presided over Clarkson's marriage to Saul, officiated at her installation as governor general, and presided over the funerals of both her parents. Clarkson is also credited for returning prayer to the viceregal installation ceremony, which had been removed when Roméo LeBlanc was installed in 1995.[55]
Clarkson was admired by the faithful for being open about her religious beliefs during her time in Rideau Hall. In a December 2005 interview with theAnglican Journal, she was quoted as saying about the Anglican elements of her heraldic arms that "I am an Anglican and that is part of my life; that I really feel at home in the Anglican Communion."[56] In this same interview, she criticized conservatives for creating what she called the "deep divide" in the Anglican church regardinghomosexuality. Clarkson was also noted for visiting Anglican churches around Canada on her many tours, saying that she enjoyed seeing how the church fit in communities in all parts of Canada. Her public faith, however, was also the cause of controversy: She received particular criticism when she was seen taking communion in a Catholic church since that denomination does not permitopen communion.[57][58]
Ribbon bars of Adrienne Clarkson_ribbon_bar.svg)
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Thetrilliums represent both Clarkson's home province of Ontario, as well as the meaning of her Chinese first name, which is a metaphor for "ice flowering branch", whiletigers are Clarkson's favourite animals, and representthe year in which she was born. The cross and white disc are based on theAnglican Church of Canada's badge. The rocks and trees represent the landscape around Clarkson's cottage onGeorgian Bay.[94] |
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| Preceded byas former governor general | Canadian order of precedence | Succeeded byas former governor general |
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