William Lyon Mackenzie King

:Not to be confused with William Lyon Mackenzie, Mackenzie King's grandfather.

Personal life

Mackenzie King was a cautious politician who tailored his policies to prevailing opinions. "Parliament will decide," he liked to say when pressed to act.

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Privately, he was highly eccentric with his preference for consulting spirits, including those of Leonardo da Vinci, Louis Pasteur, his dead mother and his dog. He sought personal reassurance from the spirits, rather than political advice. Indeed, after his death, one of the mediums said that she had not realized that he was a politician. King did ask whether his party would win the 1935 election, one of the few times politics came up during his seances. His occult interests were not widely known during his term in office, however, and only became publicized by biographers after his death who used the extensive diaries that he kept most of his life.

Related Topics:
Leonardo da Vinci - Louis Pasteur - Diaries

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He never married, but had a close female friend, Joan Patteson, a married woman, with whom he spent much of his leisure time. His country retreat at Kingsmere in Gatineau Park, near Ottawa, is open to the public.

Related Topics:
Joan Patteson - Kingsmere - Gatineau Park - Ottawa

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Mackenzie King died on July 22, 1950, at his home near Ottawa. He is buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto. He is pictured on the Canadian fifty-dollar bill.

Related Topics:
July 22 - 1950 - Mount Pleasant Cemetery - Toronto - Canadian fifty-dollar bill

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