Championing the Connection of Community & Regiment

HCol Liliane Macdonald Stewart, OC, CStJ, OQ, CD

Liliane Macdonald Stewart was appointed Honorary Colonel of The Queen’s York Rangers in 1984. She served until 2007 and then as Honorary Colonel Emeritus until her death in 2014.

Liliane Stewart was born in Cairo, Egypt, in 1928 to a Czech father and an Italian mother. She later moved to New York before settling in Montreal, where she lived for many years.

In 1968, she married David Macdonald Stewart, who also served as an Honorary Colonel of The Queen’s York Rangers. Together, they founded the Macdonald Stewart Foundation in 1973, championing the preservation of Canadian culture and history, particularly the country’s military heritage and traditions.

Following the death of her husband in 1984, Liliane Stewart became Chair of the Board of Directors of the Stewart Museum and the Montreal Museum of Decorative Arts, now part of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. She also became President of the Macdonald Stewart Foundation.

Her philanthropy extended beyond Canada. In France, she acquired and restored the former manor of Jacques Cartier, converting it into a museum. She also assisted in the restoration of the church in Hiers-Brouage in honour of the legacy of Samuel de Champlain, who was born in the town and later founded Quebec City.