List of spouses of chief executives of Hong Kong
Spouse of Chief Executive of Hong Kong | |
---|---|
香港特別行政區行政長官配偶 | |
since 1 July 2022 | |
Residence | Government House |
Formation | 1 July 1997 |
First holder | Betty Tung |
The spouse of the Chief Executive of Hong Kong is the wife or husband of the Chief Executive of Hong Kong.
During British colonial rule, there were 27 spouses of the Governor of Hong Kong, 3 of which died in office. Matthew Nathan is the only Governor of Hong Kong that is not engaged. Since Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997, there have been four women and one man that have occupied this role.
Informally called "First Lady",[1] there is no official formal title for the spouse of Hong Kong's leader. They are however traditionally appointed by prominent non-governmental organisations in the city as their patrons or presidents, such as Red Cross, Community Chest, Scout Association, and Girl Guides Association.[2]
When Carrie Lam became the first female to lead the city, there were calls to refer her husband Lam Siu-por to the "first gentleman", although Lam himself does not like the term and the Chief Executive said her husband should be called "the spouse of the chief executive". Lam also broke with tradition of taking up honorary roles in community groups.[3]
List
[edit]No. | Image | Spouse | Date of birth | Date of marriage | Leader | Age at and date of tenure began | Age at and date of tenure ended | Age and date of death |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
Susanna Pottinger (née Cooke) |
25 Jan 1801 | 1820 | Henry Pottinger | 42 years 26 Jun 1843 |
43 years 8 May 1844 |
85 years 2 Jul 1886 |
2 | ![]() |
Emily Davis (née Humfrays) |
1801/02 | 9 Apr 1822 | John Francis Davis | 41–42 years 8 May 1844 |
45–46 years 21 Mar 1848 |
63–64 years 7 Sep 1866 |
3 | Ellen Bonham (née Barnard) |
Unknown | 1846 | George Bonham | Unknown 21 Mar 1848 |
Unknown 13 Apr 1854 |
Unknown 1859 | |
4 | Maria Bowring (née Lewin) |
1793/94 | 1818 | John Bowring | 59–60 years 13 Apr 1854 |
63–64 years 1858 |
63–64 years 1858 | |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
5 | ![]() |
Nea Robinson (née Annesley) |
1823 | 1846 | Hercules Robinson | 42–43 years 11 Mar 1866 |
48–49 years 16 Apr 1872 |
80–81 years 1904 |
6 | Blanche MacDonnell (née Skurray) |
Unknown | 1847 | Richard Graves MacDonnell | Unknown 11 Mar 1866 |
Unknown 16 Apr 1872 |
Unknown | |
7 | Georgina Kennedy (née MacCartney) |
Unknown | 1839 | Arthur Kennedy | Unknown 16 Apr 1872 |
Unknown 1874 |
Unknown 1874 | |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
8 | ![]() |
Catherine Hennessy (née Low) |
1850 | 1868 | John Pope Hennessy | 32–33 years 23 Apr 1877 |
36–37 years 30 Mar 1883 |
72–73 years? 1923 |
9 | ![]() |
Diamantina Bowen (née di Roma) |
1832/1833 | 28 Apr 1856 | George Bowen | 49–50 years 30 Mar 1883 |
53–54 years 6 Oct 1887 |
59–60 years 1893 |
10 | Marion Des Vœux (née Pender) |
Unknown | 24 Jul 1875 | William Des Vœux | Unknown 6 Oct 1887 |
Unknown 10 Dec 1891 |
Unknown | |
11 | Felicia Robinson (née Rattray) |
Unknown | 21 Jul 1884 | William Robinson | Unknown 10 Dec 1891 |
Unknown 1894 |
Unknown 1894 | |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
12 | ![]() |
Edith Blake (née Osborne) |
7 Feb 1846 | 1874 | Henry Arthur Blake | 52 years 25 Nov 1898 |
57 years 21 Nov 1903 |
80 years 18 Apr 1926 |
— | — | — | — | — | Matthew Nathan | — | — | — |
13 | ![]() |
Flora Lugard (née Shaw) |
19 Dec 1852 | 10 Jun 1902 | Frederick Lugard | 54 years 29 Jul 1907 |
59 years 16 Mar 1912 |
76 years 25 Jan 1929 |
14 | Helena May (née Barker) |
Unknown | 1891 | Francis Henry May | Unknown 4 Jul 1912 |
Unknown 12 Sep 1918 |
Unknown | |
15 | Marjory Stubbs (née Womack) |
1889 | 1909 | Edward Stubbs | 29–30 years 30 Sep 1919 |
35–36 years 31 Oct 1925 |
73–74 years 1963 | |
16 | Marie Clementi (née Eyres) |
Unknown | 1912 | Cecil Clementi | Unknown 1 Nov 1925 |
Unknown 1 Feb 1930 |
Unknown | |
17 | Violet Peel (née Drake) |
Unknown | 1911 | William Peel | Unknown 9 May 1930 |
Unknown 17 May 1935 |
Unknown | |
18 | Olive Caldecott (née Innes) |
Unknown | 1918 | Andrew Caldecott | Unknown 12 Dec 1935 |
Unknown 16 Apr 1937 |
Unknown 1943 | |
19 | Edith Northcote (née Adams) |
Unknown | 27 Oct 1910 | Geoffry Northcote | Unknown 28 Oct 1937 |
Unknown 6 Sep 1941 |
Unknown | |
20 | Josephine Young (née Mary) |
Unknown | Unknown | Mark Aitchison Young | Unknown 1 May 1946 |
Unknown 17 May 1947 |
Unknown 10 Apr 1977 | |
21 | Maurine Grantham (née Samson) 葛慕蓮 |
Unknown | 28 Oct 1925 | Alexander Grantham | Unknown 25 Jul 1947 |
Unknown 31 Dec 1957 |
Unknown 1970 | |
22 | Anne Black (née Stevenson) 柏顏露絲 |
Unknown | 1937 | Robert Black | Unknown 23 Jan 1958 |
Unknown 31 Mar 1964 |
Unknown 1986 | |
23 | Margaret Trench (née Gould) |
Unknown | 18 Aug 1944 | David Trench | Unknown 14 Apr 1964 |
Unknown 19 Oct 1971 |
Unknown | |
24 | ![]() |
Margaret MacLehose (née Dunlop) 麥鄧麗娉 |
26 Dec 1920 | 1947 | Murray MacLehose | 50 years 19 Nov 1971 |
61 years 8 May 1982 |
99 years 16 Feb 2020 |
25 | Pamela Youde (née Fitt) 尤彭雯麗 |
6 Dec 1926 | 1951 | Edward Youde | 55 years 20 May 1982 |
59 years 5 Dec 1986 |
98 years Living | |
26 | ![]() |
Natasha Wilson (née Alexander) 衛黎丹霞 |
28 Sep 1943 | 1967 | David Wilson | 43 years 9 Apr 1987 |
48 years 3 Jul 1992 |
81 years Living |
27 | ![]() |
Lavender Patten (née Thornton) 彭林穎彤 |
19 Sep 1944 | 1971 | Chris Patten | 47 years 9 Jul 1992 |
52 years 30 Jun 1997 |
80 years Living |
Handover of Hong Kong | ||||||||
1 | Betty Tung (née Chiu) 董趙洪娉 |
4 May 1935 | 1961 | Tung Chee-hwa | 62 years 1 Jul 1997 |
69 years 12 Mar 2005 |
90 years Living | |
2 | ![]() |
Selina Tsang (née Pau) 曾鮑笑薇 |
1946 | 1969 | Donald Tsang | 58–59 years 21 Jun 2005 |
65–66 years 30 Jun 2012 |
78–79 years Living |
3 | ![]() |
Regina Leung (née Tong) 梁唐青儀 |
5 Feb 1957 | 1981 | Leung Chun-ying | 55 years 1 Jul 2012 |
60 years 30 Jun 2017 |
68 years Living |
4 | ![]() |
Lam Siu-por 林兆波 |
28 Mar 1954 | 1984 | Carrie Lam | 63 years 1 Jul 2017 |
68 years 30 Jun 2022 |
71 years Living |
5 | ![]() |
Janet Lee (née Lam) 李林麗嬋 |
Unknown | 1980 | John Lee | Unknown 1 Jul 2022 |
Incumbent | Living |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Farewell to the first lady". South China Morning Post. 1997-06-29. Retrieved 2025-05-17.
- ^ "Red Cross denies it has snubbed Leung's wife". South China Morning Post. 5 July 2012.
- ^ "Please don't call my husband 'first gentleman', Carrie Lam says". South China Morning Post. 2017-03-28. Retrieved 2025-05-17.