Michaëlle Jean

Her Excellency The Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean


Barack Obama and Michaëlle Jean Feb 19/09 Ottawa, Canada.




Michaëlle Jean Personal Coat of Arms.

Michaëlle Jean CC CMM COM CD FRCPSC(hon) [mi.ka.ɛl ʒɑ̃] (born 6 September 1957) is the current Governor General of Canada. She was appointed as such by Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, on the recommendation of then Prime Minister of Canada Paul Martin, to replace Adrienne Clarkson as viceroy. The official announcement of the appointment was made on 4 August 2005, and Jean's investiture as the 27th governor general since Confederation took place on 27 September.

Jean was a refugee from Haiti, coming to Canada in 1968, and was raised in the town of Thetford Mines, Quebec. After receiving a number of university degrees, Jean worked as a journalist and broadcaster for Radio-Canada and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), as well as undertaking charity work, mostly in the field of assisting victims of domestic violence. Her participation in some of her husband's film works through the 1990s, as well as her holding of French citizenship, later caused controversy when her appointment as governor general was announced; comments Jean had been recorded making were construed by some as favouring Quebec sovereignty, and her dual citizenship caused doubt about her loyalties. Jean denied any separatist leanings and renounced her citizenship of France. Continue reading