Amelia Douglas surrounded by her family.
IMAGE G-03584 COURTESY OF ROYAL BC MUSEUM, BC ARCHIVES
Amelia Douglas surrounded by her family.
IMAGE G-03584 COURTESY OF ROYAL BC MUSEUM, BC ARCHIVES
No history of the province can be written without Sir James Douglas forming the central figure around which will cluster the stirring events that have marked the advance of the province from a fur-hunting preserve for nomadic tribes to a progressive country of civilized beings, under the protection of the British Flag and enjoying a stable and settled form of government.
On August 14, 1863, James Douglas, governor of British Columbia, was elevated to the position of Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath. Thereafter he was to be known as Sir James Douglas.
An official ceremony took place at the old legislative buildings in Victoria, known as the Birdcages. This was followed by a private dinner hosted by Matthew Begbie, judge of the colony of British Columbia. It was a glittering affair with good food, fine wine, and numerous congratulatory speeches that went on far into the night. Judge Begbie, being a bachelor, had asked Sir James’s wife, Amelia, to act as hostess.
A shy, retiring woman, Amelia (Connolly) Douglas had long served in her husband’s shadow. It was the way she preferred it; she did not by choice seek the limelight. She had spent too many years trying to overcome the prejudices of a snobbish society that considered her mixed blood to be inferior. This night, however, was different. At last the spotlight was focused on Amelia, and for her the occasion would prove to be a personal triumph.
After dinner, Judge Begbie pinned the order of knighthood on Sir James Douglas’s coat and placed the crimson collar and pendant around his neck. Then, raising his glass in Amelia’s direction, he bowed with an elegant flourish and the words:
To our esteemed hostess, Lady Douglas, the wife of the Governor of British Columbia, and the first lady in the land.
Amelia Douglas had arrived. She was now part of the upper-class establishment of Victoria.