William Plunket, 5th Baron Plunket
William Lee Plunket, 5th Baron Plunket, GCMG, KCVO, KBE ( December 19, 1864 *, † January 24, 1920 in London) was a British diplomat and civil servant. He was from 1904 to 1910 Governor of New Zealand.
Early life
Plunkett was born in Dublin and studied at the Harrow School and at Trinity College Dublin. His parents were William Plunket, 4th Lord Plunket, who was from 1884 to 1897 Archbishop of Dublin, and his wife Anne, daughter of Benjamin Guinness.
Life
Plunkett entered the diplomatic service one was sent to us in 1889 as Attaché in the British Embassy in Rome. In 1892 he joined as Attaché to the Embassy in Constantinople Opel. In 1894 he retired from the diplomatic service and married Victoria Alexandrina, youngest daughter of the 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava. The wedding took place in the British Consulate and the Church in the Rue d' Aguessau in Paris. The couple had three sons and five daughters. Victoria was named patroness of the Plunket Society, a New Zealand organization that is dedicated to the promotion of health and well -being of mothers and children.
In 1897, he became the fifth Baron Plunket. In 1900 he became private secretary to Lord Cadogan, at that time Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. He also had at his successor, Lord Dudley, held the same post.
Governor of New Zealand
On June 20, 1904, Governor of New Zealand Plunket. Coincidentally the Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives was his cousin Arthur Guinness. He held this position under the monarch Edward VII and George V until June 8, 1910.
On September 26, 1907 Plunkett announced in the House of Representatives, the decision to transition from colony to Dominion New Zealand.
His successor was John Dickson Poynder, 1st Baron Islington.
His last official duty in connection to New Zealand was in 1911, when he carried the standard of the Dominions on the occasion of the coronation of King George V..
Plunkett was a Freemason. During his tenure as Governor, he was Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand. He died on January 24, 1920 at the age of 55 years in 40 Elvaston Place in London and was buried in Putney Vale Cemetery London.
Awards
- Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1900, promoted to Knight Commander in 1903
- Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1905, promoted to Knight Grand Cross in 1910
- Commander of the Order of the British Empire, 1918.