Charles Ritchie
Encyclopedia
Charles Stewart Almon Ritchie, CC
(September 23, 1906 - June 7, 1995) was a Canadian
diplomat
and diarist.
Born in Halifax
, Nova Scotia
, he was Canada’s ambassador to West Germany
(1954-1958), Permanent Representative to the United Nations
(1958-1962), ambassador to the United States
during the presidencies of John F. Kennedy
and Lyndon Johnson (1962-1966), ambassador to the North Atlantic Council (1966-1967) and from 1967 to 1971 was Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom in London
.
While Ritchie's career as a diplomat marked him as an important person in the history of Canadian foreign relations, he became famous through the publication of his diaries, first The Siren Years, and then three follow-ups. The diaries document both his diplomatic career and his private life, including the beginning of his long love affair with the Anglo-Irish writer Elizabeth Bowen
, which began in 1941 when he was still single and she married, survived through his marriage in 1948 and long periods of separation, lasting until Bowen's death in 1973.
In 1969 he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada
. He received honorary doctorates
from Trent University
(1976), York University
(1992) and Carleton University
(1992).
Ritchie came from a long-prominent family in Nova Scotia. His brother, Roland Ritchie
, continuing a family tradition in the law, was a justice of the Supreme Court of Canada
.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(September 23, 1906 - June 7, 1995) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
and diarist.
Born in Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, he was Canada’s ambassador to West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
(1954-1958), Permanent Representative to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
(1958-1962), ambassador to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during the presidencies of John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
and Lyndon Johnson (1962-1966), ambassador to the North Atlantic Council (1966-1967) and from 1967 to 1971 was Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
While Ritchie's career as a diplomat marked him as an important person in the history of Canadian foreign relations, he became famous through the publication of his diaries, first The Siren Years, and then three follow-ups. The diaries document both his diplomatic career and his private life, including the beginning of his long love affair with the Anglo-Irish writer Elizabeth Bowen
Elizabeth Bowen
Elizabeth Dorothea Cole Bowen, CBE was an Irish novelist and short story writer.-Life:Elizabeth Bowen was born on 7 June 1899 at 15 Herbert Place in Dublin, Ireland and was baptized in the nearby St Stephen's Church on Upper Mount Street...
, which began in 1941 when he was still single and she married, survived through his marriage in 1948 and long periods of separation, lasting until Bowen's death in 1973.
In 1969 he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
. He received honorary doctorates
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
from Trent University
Trent University
Trent University is a liberal arts and science-oriented institution located along the Otonabee River in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.The enabling legislation is the Trent University Act, 1962-63. The University was founded through the efforts of a citizens' committee interested in creating a...
(1976), York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
(1992) and Carleton University
Carleton University
Carleton University is a comprehensive university located in the capital of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. The enabling legislation is The Carleton University Act, 1952, S.O. 1952. Founded as a small college in 1942, Carleton now offers over 65 programs in a diverse range of disciplines. Carleton has...
(1992).
Ritchie came from a long-prominent family in Nova Scotia. His brother, Roland Ritchie
Roland Ritchie
Roland Almon Ritchie, CC was a Canadian lawyer and Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the son of William Bruce Almon Ritchie and Lillian Stewart, he received a B.A. from the University of King's College in 1930, a B.A. in 1932 from Oxford University, and was...
, continuing a family tradition in the law, was a justice of the Supreme Court of Canada
Supreme Court of Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...
.
Selected works
- The Siren Years: A Canadian Diplomat Abroad 1937-1945 Toronto: Macmillan, 1974. ISBN 0-7710-7526-X, winner of the 1974 Governor General's Awards1974 Governor General's AwardsEach winner of the 1974 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit was selected by a panel of judges administered by the Canada Council for the Arts.-English Language:*Fiction: Margaret Laurence, The Diviners....
- An Appetite for Life: The Education of a Young Diarist, 1924-1927 Toronto: Macmillan, 1977. ISBN 0-7705-1573-8.
- Diplomatic Passport Toronto: Macmillan, 1981. ISBN 0-7715-9587-5.
- Storm Signals Toronto: Macmillan, 1983. ISBN 0-7715-9782-7.