Spouse of the prime minister of Canada

[3] As semi-public figures, spouses are often present at various ceremonial, diplomatic, or partisan activities alongside the prime minister.

[4] The prime minister is not the head of state; thus, their spouse does not officially play as active a role in Canadian affairs as do the royal and viceregal consorts.

At times, prime ministers' spouses have used their public status to promote charitable causes: Mila Mulroney was a spokesperson for the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and other children's charities, Aline Chrétien was an active campaigner for literacy programs, and Laureen Harper was known for her support of animal welfare organizations such as the Ottawa Humane Society.

[8] Mila Mulroney also rose to some notoriety due to her spending habits,[8] and was satirized in Frank as Imelda because of her purportedly large collection of shoes.

In 2016, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau faced some controversy when she stated in an interview that she needed a staff assistant to keep on top of all the requests she received for public and charitable appearances, which some critics described as coming from a sense of personal entitlement or an attempt to turn herself into a First Lady.

Macdonald married his second wife, Agnes Bernard, while in London in 1867, during the final negotiations leading up to Confederation.

She briefly dated Gregory Lekhtman, the inventor of Exerlopers, during her term as prime minister, but kept the relationship private and did not involve him in the 1993 election campaign.