The spouse of the governor-general of New Zealand generally assists the office-holder in welcoming ambassadors and their spouses, and in performing their other official duties. The governor-general's spouse traditionally participates in celebratory occasions, attends functions and, as a patron of various voluntary associations, works to promote the activities of those associations. None of the activities have any official status. The spouse of the administrator of the Government fulfills the role when the administrator (chief justice) performs the function of the governor-general.
The current spouse (since 21 October 2021) is Richard Davies, husband of Cindy Kiro.
Both the governor-general and their spouse are entitled to the style "His/Her Excellency" during the governor-general's term of office, but not thereafter. The governor-general is entitled to the style "The Right Honourable" for life; this does not extend to the spouse.
Most of the spouses of governors-general have been content to be background figures providing the office-holder with support. Some have been all but unknown to the general New Zealand public. However, a few have been notable in their own right, and details are shown in the following table.
List of spouses of the governor-general of New Zealand
| # | Governor-General | Term start | Term end | Spouse | Born | Died | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arthur Foljambe, 2nd Earl of Liverpool | 28 June 1917 | 8 July 1920 | Annette Monck, Countess of Liverpool GBE | 23 May 1875 | 25 May 1948 | Annette Monck was the daughter of Henry Monck, 5th Viscount Monck. |
| 2 | John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe | 27 September 1920 | 12 December 1924 | Florence Gwendoline Cayzer, Lady Jellicoe | 20 July 1877 | 12 May 1964 | Florence Gwendoline Cayzer was the daughter of the shipping magnate Sir Charles Cayzer. |
| 3 | Sir Charles Fergusson, 7th Baronet | 13 December 1924 | 8 February 1930 | Alice Mary Boyle, Lady Alice Fergusson | 18 December 1877 | 1 January 1958 | Lady Alice Mary Boyle was the daughter of David Boyle, 7th Earl of Glasgow. |
| 4 | Charles Bathurst, 1st Viscount Bledisloe | 19 March 1930 | 15 March 1935 | Hon Bertha Susan, Lady Bledisloe | c. 1869 | 1926 | Hon Bertha Susan was the daughter of Henry Charles Lopes, 1st Baron Ludlow. |
| 5 | George Monckton-Arundell, 8th Viscount Galway | 12 April 1935 | 3 February 1941 | Lucia Margaret White, Lady Galway | 3 December 1890 | 1983 | Lucia Margaret White was the daughter of the Luke White, 3rd Baron Annaly. |
| 6 | Cyril Newall, 1st Baron Newall | 22 February 1941 | 19 April 1946 | Olive Foster, Lady Newall | ? | c. 1988 | |
| 7 | Bernard Freyberg, 1st Baron Freyberg | 17 June 1946 | 15 August 1952 | Barbara Jekyll, Lady Freyberg | 14 June 1887 | 24 September 1973 | Lady Freyberg was daughter of Sir Herbert Jekyll and Dame Agnes Jekyll. |
| 8 | Willoughby Norrie, 1st Baron Norrie | 2 December 1952 | 25 July 1957 | Patricia Merryweather Bainbridge, Lady Norrie | March 1907 | January 2001 | Lady Norrie was the daughter of Emerson Muschamp Bainbridge and Norah Mossum (née Merryweather). |
| 9 | Charles Lyttelton, 10th Viscount Cobham | 5 September 1957 | 13 September 1962 | Elizabeth Alison Makeig-Jones, Lady Cobham | ? | 1986 | |
| 10 | Bernard Fergusson, Baron Ballantrae | 9 November 1962 | 20 October 1967 | Laura Margaret Grenfell, Lady Ballantrae | 14 April 1920 | 17 December 1979 | |
| 11 | Sir Arthur Porritt, Baron Porritt | 1 December 1967 | 7 September 1972 | Kathleen Mary Peck, Lady Porritt | 25 October 1913 | 13 July 1998 | |
| 12 | Sir Denis Blundell | 27 September 1972 | 5 October 1977 | June Daphne Blundell, Lady Blundell | 19 June 1922 | 31 October 2012 | |
| 13 | Sir Keith Holyoake | 26 October 1977 | 25 October 1980 | Dame Norma Holyoake DCMG | 7 March 1909 | 18 December 1984 | |
| 14 | Sir David Beattie | 6 November 1980 | 10 November 1985 | Norma Margaret Sarah Macdonald, Lady Beattie | 26 September 1925 | 9 May 2018 | |
| 15 | Sir Paul Reeves | 20 November 1985 | 29 November 1990 | Beverley Watkins, Lady Reeves | 1934 | living | |
| 16 | Dame Catherine Tizard | 13 December 1990 | 21 March 1996 | Vacant | Catherine Tizard married Bob Tizard in 1951. They divorced in 1980. Bob Tizard was Deputy Prime Minister from 1974 to 1975. | ||
| 17 | Sir Michael Hardie Boys | 21 March 1996 | 21 March 2001 | Mary Zohrab, Lady Hardie Boys QSO | 1 April 1933 | 26 June 2024 | |
| 18 | Dame Silvia Cartwright | 4 April 2001 | 4 August 2006 | Peter Cartwright CNZM | 3 May 1940 | 17 April 2019 | |
| 19 | Sir Anand Satyanand | 23 August 2006 | 23 August 2011 | Susan Sharpe, Lady Satyanand | 1947 | living | |
| 20 | Sir Jerry Mateparae | 31 August 2011 | 31 August 2016 | Janine Grenside, Lady Mateparae | 1965 | living | |
| 21 | Dame Patsy Reddy | 28 September 2016 | 28 September 2021 | Sir David Gascoigne KNZM CBE | 15 January 1941 | living | |
| 22 | Dame Cindy Kiro | 21 October 2021 | Incumbent | Richard Davies | 1959 | living |
See also
References
- "Galway, Lucia Emily Margaret, Viscountess, 1890-1983". Galway, Lucia Emily Margaret, Viscoun... | Items | National Library of New Zealand. 1 January 1890.
- "Norrie, Patricia Merryweather (Lady), 1907-2001". Norrie, Patricia Merryweather (Lady),... | Items | National Library of New Zealand. 1 January 1907.
- "Patricia Merryweather BAINBRIDGE 1906-2001 - Ancestry®". Ancestry.com. Archived from the original on 22 October 2019.
- "Elizabeth Alison (née Makeig-Jones), Viscountess Cobham - National Portrait Gallery". www.npg.org.uk.
- "Cobham, Elizabeth Alison (Lady), -1986". Cobham, Elizabeth Alison (Lady), -1986 | Items | National Library of New Zealand. 1 January 1986.
- Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu. "Porritt, Arthur Espie". teara.govt.nz.
- "Norma Beattie death notice". New Zealand Herald. 11 May 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- "Lady Norma Beattie embodied a sense of public service". Stuff. 29 June 2018.
- Reeves, Beverley Gwendolen (Lady) (1 March 2000). "Interview with Lady Beverley Reeves". Interview with Lady Beverley Reeves | Items | National Library of New Zealand.
- "Lady Hardie Boys obituary". The New Zealand Herald. 1 July 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- NZ Governor General's website Archived 14 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine