Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis
British field marshal; Governor General of Canada (1891–1969) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis (10 December 1891 – 16 June 1969),[2] was a senior British Army officer who served with distinction in both the First and the Second World War and, afterwards, as Governor General of Canada and the first Lord Lieutenant of Greater London in 1965.
The Earl Alexander of Tunis | |
|---|---|
 Harold Alexander in the 1940s | |
| 17th Governor General of Canada | |
| In office 12 April 1946 – 28 January 1952 | |
| Monarch | George VI |
| Prime Minister | |
| Preceded by | The Earl of Athlone |
| Succeeded by | Vincent Massey |
| Minister of Defence | |
| In office 1 March 1952 – 18 October 1954 | |
| Prime Minister | Winston Churchill |
| Preceded by | Winston Churchill |
| Succeeded by | Harold Macmillan |
| Lord Lieutenant of the County of London | |
| In office 25 April 1957 – 1 April 1965 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Preceded by | Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke |
| Succeeded by | Himself (as Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London) |
| Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London | |
| In office 1 April 1965 – 28 December 1966 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Preceded by | Himself (as Lord Lieutenant of the County of London) |
| Succeeded by | Gerald Templer |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal | |
| In office 1 March 1946 – 16 June 1969 Hereditary Peerage | |
| Preceded by | Peerage established |
| Succeeded by | The 2nd Earl Alexander of Tunis |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander 10 December 1891 London, England |
| Died | 16 June 1969 (aged 77) Slough, Buckinghamshire, England |
| Spouse | |
| Children |
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| Alma mater | |
| Profession | Soldier |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch/service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1911–1946[1] |
| Rank | Field Marshal |
| Unit | Irish Guards |
| Commands | |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | See below... |
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|---|---|
| Earl Alexander of Tunis | |
 Arms of Earl Alexander of Tunis | |
| Tenure | 14 March 1952 – 16 June 1969 |
| Successor | Shane Alexander, 2nd Earl |
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| Parents |
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Alexander was born in London[2] to aristocratic parents, and was educated at Harrow before moving on to the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, for training as an army officer of the Irish Guards. He rose to prominence through his service in the First World War, receiving numerous honours and decorations, and continued his military career through various British campaigns across Europe and Asia. In the Second World War, Alexander oversaw the final stages of the Allied evacuation from Dunkirk and subsequently held high-ranking field commands in Burma, North Africa and Italy, including serving as Commander-in-Chief Middle East and commanding the 18th Army Group in Tunisia. He then commanded the 15th Army Group for the capture of Sicily and again in Italy before receiving his field marshal's baton and being made Supreme Allied Commander Mediterranean.
In 1946, he was appointed as Governor General of Canada by King George VI, on the recommendation of Prime Minister of Canada William Lyon Mackenzie King, to replace the Earl of Athlone as viceroy, and he occupied the post until he was succeeded by Vincent Massey in 1952. Alexander proved to be enthusiastic about the Canadian wilderness and popular with Canadians. He was the last Governor General before Adrienne Clarkson who was not born in Canada as well as the last Governor General to be a peer.
After the end of his viceregal tenure, Alexander was sworn into the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and thereafter,[3] in order to serve as the British Minister of Defence in the Cabinet of Winston Churchill, into the Imperial Privy Council. Alexander retired in 1954 and died in 1969.