In 1916, King George V appointed him governor general of Canada on the recommendation of Prime Minister H. H. Asquith, replacing Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, as viceroy.

Following his tenure as governor general, Devonshire returned to political and diplomatic life, serving as Secretary of State for the Colonies between 1922 and 1924, before retiring to his estate in Derbyshire, where he died on 6 May 1938.

[22] When he succeeded to his uncle's dukedom on 24 March 1908, Devonshire, as he was thereafter known, was disqualified from holding his seat in the Commons, as he now held a place in the House of Lords.

The University of Leeds General Reception Committee honoured his presidential years on 30 September, 1912 at an event at the hall of the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society with ensuing tours of nearby foundries including those founded by Robert Middleton and the family of Albert Kitson, 2nd Baron Airedale, both of whom were members of the committee.

[22] It was announced on 8 August 1916 that King George V had, by commission under the royal sign-manual and signet,[29] approved the recommendation of his British prime minister, H. H. Asquith, to appoint Devonshire as his representative in Canada.

The appointment caused political problems, as Canadian prime minister Robert Borden had not been consulted on the matter, contrary to practice that had been well established by that time.

The women's suffrage movement gaining momentum in Canada, calls were coming out of the prairies for socialist changes to the governmental system and war continued to rage around the world.

The same year, the Governor General also travelled to Nova Scotia to survey the damage caused by the Halifax Explosion on 6 December.

At all times, Devonshire was careful to consult with his prime minister and the leaders of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition in Canada on matters related to conscription and the war effort.

His speeches often referred to Canada's potential to lead the world in agricultural research and development, and one of his major projects as viceroy was establishing experimental farms, including the Crown's central one in Ottawa.

[13] By the end of his tenure as governor general, Devonshire had overcome all of the initial suspicions that had surrounded his appointment, and both men who served as his Canadian prime minister, Borden and Arthur Meighen, came to view him as a personal friend of them and also of Canada.

The former said of Devonshire: "No Governor General has come with a more comprehensive grasp of public questions as they touch not only this country and the United Kingdom, but the whole Empire".

On returning to England, Devonshire worked at the League of Nations before serving from 1922 to 1924 as Secretary of State for the Colonies (with a seat in the Cabinet, while headed by Prime Ministers Bonar Law and Stanley Baldwin).

Augusta National, Cypress Point, Royal Melbourne, Meadow Club, Pasatiempo, and Crystal Downs are other other courses designed by the same architect.

[37] In the quite section of Buxton, the course is home to a variety of wildlife, including deer, hares, buzzards, kestrels, and sparrow hawks.

[38] From 1933 until his death he was Honorary Colonel of the 24 (Derbyshire Yeomanry) Armoured Car Company, Royal Tank Regiment, in the Territorial Army.