Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis

Field Marshal The Right Honourable The Earl Alexander of Tunis KG, GCB, OM, GCMG, CSI, DSO, MC, CD, PC (Can), PC
Alexander in late 1944
17th Governor General of Canada
In office 12 April 1946 – 28 January 1952
Monarch	George VI
Prime Minister	William Lyon Mackenzie King Louis St. Laurent
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
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	2nd Earl Alexander of Tunis
Personal details
Born	Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander (1891-12-10)10 December 1891 London, England
Died	16 June 1969(1969-06-16) (aged 77) Slough, Buckinghamshire, England
Spouse	Margaret Alexander, Countess Alexander of Tunis ​ ​ (m. 1931)​
Children	Lady Rose Maureen Alexander Shane, 2nd Earl The Hon. Brian James Alexander
Alma mater	Harrow School Royal Military College, Sandhurst
Profession	Soldier
Signature
Nicknames	"Alex" "The Soldiers Soldier"[1]
Military service
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch/service	British Army
Years of service	1910–1946[2]
Rank	Field Marshal
Unit	Irish Guards
Commands	Supreme Commander Allied Forces Headquarters 15th Army Group 18th Army Group Middle East Command Southern Command I Corps 1st Infantry Division Nowshera Brigade 1st Battalion, Irish Guards 2nd Battalion, Irish Guards Baltische Landeswehr
Battles/wars	First World War Latvian War of Independence Second Mohmand Campaign Second World War
Awards	See below
Service No.	17884

Harold Alexander 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis
Earl Alexander of Tunis
Arms of Earl Alexander of Tunis
Tenure	14 March 1952 – 16 June 1969
Successor	Shane Alexander, 2nd Earl
Other titles	1st Viscount Alexander of Tunis 1st Baron Rideau
Parents	The 4th Earl of Caledon Lady Elizabeth Graham-Toler

Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis KG, GCB, OM, GCMG, CSI, DSO, MC, CD, PC (Can), PC, (10 December 1891 – 16 June 1969)^[3] was a senior and highly decorated British Army officer who served in both of the world wars. In addition, following the end of his military career, he served as Governor General of Canada and became the first Lord Lieutenant of Greater London in 1965.

Alexander was born in London 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, and continued his military career through various British campaigns across Europe and Asia during the interwar period. In the Second World War, Alexander, initially in command of a division, oversaw the final stages of the Allied evacuation from Dunkirk and subsequently held field commands in Britain, 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 being promoted to field marshal and being made Supreme Allied Commander Mediterranean in late 1944.

In 1946 he was appointed as Governor General of Canada by King George VI, on the recommendation of the 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 who was born in the United Kingdom 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,^[4] 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.