Right to be styled the Right Honourable Prior to 1963, the right to be styled
the Right Honourable was not automatic, but associated with the membership of the
Imperial Privy Council of the United Kingdom. Three prime ministers
(Alexander Mackenzie,
John Abbott and
Mackenzie Bowell) and three chief justices (
William Buell Richards,
William Johnstone Ritchie and
Patrick Kerwin) were never members and thus were not entitled to be styled as such. Prime Minister
Charles Tupper was appointed after he was no longer Prime Minister. Governor General
Lord Byng was not a member, but was entitled to be styled as such by nature of being a viscount. The following Canadians were entitled to be styled
the Right Honourable upon being sworn of the
Imperial Privy Council: Reign of
Queen Victoria (1837–1901) • 1879: Sir
John A. Macdonald (while prime minister) • 1886: Sir
Sir John Rose (while informally serving as unofficial representative of the Canadian government in London) • 1894:
Sir John Thompson (while prime minister) Thompson died from a sudden heart attack during the luncheon given by Queen Victoria in his honour following being sworn of council. • 1897, sworn of council along with senior leaders of other British Dominions and colonies, including
Sir William Whiteway,
Colonial Premier of Newfoundland •
Sir Wilfrid Laurier (while prime minister) •
Sir Samuel Henry Strong (while chief justice) Reign of
King Edward VII (1901–1910) • 1902: Sir
Richard John Cartwright (while Minister of Trade and Commerce) • 1904:
Sir Henri-Elzéar Taschereau (while Chief Justice, before automatic conferment) • 1904:
Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal (while High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, for extensive philanthropy in Canada and Britain) • 1907: Sir
Charles Tupper, 1st Baronet (after he was no longer prime minister) • 1908:
Sir Charles Fitzpatrick (while chief justice) Reign of
King George V (1910–1936) • 1912:
Robert Borden (while prime minister) The grandson of former Governor General Lord Durham was sworn of council on the same day. •
1916 Birthday Honours: Sir
George Eulas Foster (while Minister of Trade and Commerce) • 1919 (sworn of together) •
Sir Louis Henry Davies (while chief justice) • Sir
Lyman Duff (while puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, became chief justice in 1933) •
1920 New Year Honours •
Arthur Sifton (while Secretary of State for Canada, for his contribution at the
Paris Peace Conference) •
Charles Doherty (while Minister of Justice, for contribution at the Paris Peace Conference) • Sir William Thomas White (for service as acting Prime Minister while Prime Minister
Robert Borden was attending the Paris Peace Conference) • 1920:
Arthur Meighen (while prime minister) • 1922:
William Lyon Mackenzie King (while prime minister) •
1923 Birthday Honours:
William Stevens Fielding (while Minister of Finance) • 1925: • Sir
William Mulock (while Chief Justice of Ontario) • George Perry Graham (while Minister of Railway and Canals, upon losing his seat) • 1925:
Francis Alexander Anglin (while chief justice) • 1930:
R. B. Bennett (while prime minister) • 1931: Sir
George Halsey Perley (while a minister without portfolio) •
1937 Coronation Honours:
Ernest Lapointe (while Justice Minister and Mackenzie King's Quebec's lieutenant) Reign of King George VI (1936–1952) •
1941 Birthday Honours:
Vincent Massey (while
High Commissioner of Canada in the United Kingdom, became Governor General in 1952) • 1941:
Raoul Dandurand (while Government Leader in Senate) •
1946 New Year Honours •
Louis St. Laurent (while
Secretary of State for External Affairs, became Prime Minister himself in 1948) •
James Lorimer Ilsley (while
Minister of Finance) •
C. D. Howe (while minister responsible for post war reconstruction) •
1947 New Year Honours •
Ian Alistair Mackenzie (while
Government House Leader) •
James Garfield Gardiner (while
Minister of Agriculture) • 1947:
Thibaudeau Rinfret (while chief justice) Reign of Queen Elizabeth II (1952 to until end of practice in 1963) • 1957:
John Diefenbaker (while prime minister) • 1963:
Lester B. Pearson (while prime minister) • 1963:
Georges Vanier (while Governor General) The following Canadians were specifically granted the right to be styled
the Right Honourable since 1963 without having served as Governor General, Prime Minister of Chief Justice: • 1992: (on advice of Prime Minister
Brian Mulroney as part of Canada's 125th anniversary celebrations) •
Martial Asselin (while Lieutenant Governor of Quebec, former cabinet minister) •
Ellen Fairclough (first woman ever to serve in the Canadian Cabinet) •
Alvin Hamilton (former cabinet minister) •
Paul Martin Sr. (former
Secretary of State for External Affairs and
High Commissioner to the United Kingdom) •
Jean-Luc Pépin (former cabinet minister) •
Jack Pickersgill (former
Clerk of the Privy Council and cabinet minister) •
Robert Stanfield (former Leader of the Opposition and Premier of Nova Scotia) • 1993:
Don Mazankowski (on advice of Prime Minister
Brian Mulroney a week prior the end of their respective service as Prime Minister and
Deputy Prime Minister) • 2002:
Herb Gray (on advice of Prime Minister
Jean Chrétien upon the end of his service as Chretien's Deputy Prime Minister) ==Military honorifics==