Governor-General of Barbados

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Governor-General of Barbados
File:Coat of arms of Barbados (3).svg
Coat of arms of Barbados
Flag of the Governor-General of Barbados.svg
Style His/Her Excellency
Residence Government House, Barbados
Appointer Monarch of Barbados
Term length At Her Majesty's pleasure
Formation 30 November 1966
First holder Sir John Montague Stow
Final holder Dame Sandra Mason
Abolished 30 November 2021
Salary 220,998 BBD annually[1]

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. The governor-general of Barbados was the representative of Queen Elizabeth II in her capacity as Barbadian monarch from independence in 1966 until the establishment of a republic in 2021. Under the government's Table of Precedence for Barbados, the governor-general of Barbados was regarded as being the most important of all personnel of the Barbados government.[2]

The office was established by Chapter IV of the Constitution of Barbados.[3] The Governor-General was appointed by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister of Barbados.[4][5] The governor-general exercised executive powers and gave assent to bills in the monarch's name promulgating them as laws.[6] The Barbados constitution limited the powers of the governor-general (known as a constitutional monarchy system of governance).[7] This effectively limited the powers of the Queen, as it did the governor-general, who, in most instances, exercised authority on the advice of the prime minister or other persons or bodies within Barbados, much like the president of Barbados at present.[8]

The office of the governor-general was established when Barbados gained independence in 1966. Since the colonization of Barbados by the British, Barbados has had 68 governors and subsequently 8 governors-general. On 30 November 2021, Barbados became a republic and the office of governor-general was abolished.

Duties

The queen, on the advice of the Barbadian prime minister, appointed a governor-general to be her representative in Barbados.[9][10] Both the queen and the governor-general held much power in the country, though it was rarely used unilaterally; it was usually only used in such a way in emergencies and in some cases war.[11]

The governor-general represented the queen on ceremonial occasions such as the opening of parliament and the presentation of honours and military parades. Under the constitution, the governor-general was given authority to act in some matters; for example, in appointing and disciplining officers of the civil service,[12] granting "any person convicted of any offence against the laws of Barbados a pardon",[13] and in proroguing parliament. But in only a few cases was the Governor-General empowered to act entirely on his/her own discretion, often requiring the countersignature of the prime minister to exercise their powers.

The governor-general of Barbados also chaired the Privy Council of Barbados.

List of Governors-General of Barbados

On 30 November 1966, Barbados gained independence from the United Kingdom.

Symbols

^† Died in office.
  Denotes Acting Governors-General
No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Monarch
(Reign)
Took office Left office Time in office
1 Sir John Montague Stow
(1911–1997)
30 November
1966
18 May
1967
169 days Elizabeth II
File:Coat of arms of Barbados (3).svg
(1966–2021)
2 Sir Arleigh Winston Scott
(1900–1976)
18 May
1967
9 August
1976[†]
9 years,

82 days

Sir William Douglas
(1921–2003)
Acting Governor-General
9 August
1976
17 November
1976
100 days
3 Sir Deighton Lisle Ward
(1909–1984)
17 November
1976
9 January
1984[†]
7 years,

53 days

Sir William Douglas
(1921–2003)
Acting Governor-General
10 January
1984
24 February
1984
45 days
4 Sir Hugh Springer
(1913–1994)
24 February
1984
6 June
1990
6 years,

104 days

5 Dame Nita Barrow
(1916–1995)
6 June
1990
19 December
1995[†]
5 years,

195 days

Sir Denys Williams
(1929–2014)
Acting Governor-General
19 December
1995
1 June
1996
165 days
6 Sir Clifford Husbands
(1926–2017)
1 June
1996
31 October
2011
15 years,

151 days

70px Sir Elliott Belgrave
(b. 1931)
Acting Governor-General
1 November
2011
30 May
2012
211 days
70px Dame Sandra Mason
(b. 1949)
Acting Governor-General
30 May
2012
1 June
2012
2 days
7 70px Sir Elliott Belgrave
(b. 1931)
1 June
2012
30 June
2017
5 years,

29 days

Sir Philip Greaves
(b. 1931)
Acting Governor-General
1 July
2017
8 January
2018
191 days
8 70px Dame Sandra Mason
(b. 1949)
8 January
2018
30 November
2021
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Post abolished 30 November 2021

For a list of heads of state after the establishment of the Republic, see List of heads of state of Barbados.

Official oath of office

According to the First Schedule section of the Constitution of Barbados, the official Oath of office for the Governor-General of Barbados is as follows:

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I, _________________________, do swear that I will well and truly serve Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Her Heirs and Successors, in the office of Governor-General. So help me God.

Abolition

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In September 2020, Barbados announced to abolish the monarchy of Barbados and the governor-general's position, and the Queen of Barbados was replaced with a ceremonial president, akin to that of the president of Trinidad and Tobago.[14] Incumbent governor-general Dame Sandra Mason was elected president on 20 October 2021 and was inaugurated as president on 30 November 2021.

See also

References

  1. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. Table of Precedence for Barbados - July, 2008
  3. Constitution, Chapter IV
  4. Constitution, Chapter IV, Section 28(1)
  5. Constitution, Chapter IV, Section 32
  6. Constitution, Chapter V, Section 58(1)
  7. Constitution, Chapter IV, Section 32
  8. Constitution, Chapter IV, Section 32
  9. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. Constitution, Chapter VI, Part 1; Section 28
  11. Constitution, Chapter III, Part 15; Section 25(1)(a)
  12. The role of GG is not just ceremonial, says Arthur
  13. Constitution, Chapter VI, Part 2; Section 78(1)(a)
  14. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links