Governor-General Of Barbados
The governor-general of Barbados was the representative of the 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.
| Governor-General of Barbados | |
|---|---|
.svg) | |
 | |
| Style | His/Her Excellency |
| Status | Abolished |
| Residence | Government House, Barbados |
| Appointer | Monarch of Barbados |
| Term length | At Her Majesty's pleasure |
| Formation | 30 November 1966 |
| First holder | John Montague Stow |
| Final holder | Sandra Mason |
| Abolished | 30 November 2021 |
| Salary | 220,998 BBD annually |
The office was established by Chapter IV of the 1966 Constitution of Barbados. The governor-general was appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister of Barbados. The governor-general exercised the monarch's executive powers and gave assent to bills in the monarch's name, promulgating them as laws. The powers of the monarch and the governor-general were limited, and they, in most instances, exercised authority on the advice of the prime minister or other persons or bodies within Barbados.
The office of the governor-general was established when Barbados gained independence in 1966. Since then, Barbados had 8 governors-general. On 30 November 2021, Barbados became a republic and the office of governor-general was abolished.
Duties
The Barbadian monarch, on the advice of her Barbadian prime minister, appointed a governor-general to be her representative in Barbados. Both the monarch 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.
The governor-general represented the monarch on ceremonial occasions such as the State 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, granting "any person convicted of any offence against the laws of Barbados a pardon", and in proroguing parliament. However, 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
Following is a list of people who served as governor-general of Barbados from independence in 1966 to the establishment of a republic in 2021.
Symbols
- ^† Died in office.
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Monarch (Reign) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
| 1 |  | John Montague Stow (1911–1997) | 30 November 1966 | 18 May 1967 | 169 days | .jpg) Elizabeth II (1966–2021) |
| 2 | | Arleigh Winston Scott (1900–1976) | 18 May 1967 | 9 August 1976[†] | 9 years, 82 days | |
| – | | William Douglas (1921–2003) Acting Governor-General | 9 August 1976 | 17 November 1976 | 100 days | |
| 3 | | Deighton Lisle Ward (1909–1984) | 17 November 1976 | 9 January 1984[†] | 7 years, 53 days | |
| – | | William Randolph Douglas (1921–2003) Acting Governor-General | 10 January 1984 | 24 February 1984 | 45 days | |
| 4 | | Hugh Springer (1913–1994) | 24 February 1984 | 6 June 1990 | 6 years, 104 days | |
| 5 | | Nita Barrow (1916–1995) | 6 June 1990 | 19 December 1995[†] | 5 years, 195 days | |
| – | | Denys Williams (1929–2014) Acting Governor-General | 19 December 1995 | 1 June 1996 | 165 days | |
| 6 | Clifford Husbands (1926–2017) | 1 June 1996 | 31 October 2011 | 15 years, 151 days | ||
| – |  | Elliott Belgrave (b. 1931) Acting Governor-General | 1 November 2011 | 30 May 2012 | 211 days | |
| – |  | Sandra Mason (b. 1949) Acting Governor-General | 30 May 2012 | 1 June 2012 | 2 days | |
| 7 | | Elliott Belgrave (b. 1931) | 1 June 2012 | 30 June 2017 | 5 years, 29 days | |
| – | | Philip Greaves (b. 1931) Acting Governor-General | 1 July 2017 | 8 January 2018 | 191 days | |
| 8 | | Sandra Mason (b. 1949) | 8 January 2018 | 30 November 2021 | 3 years, 326 days | |
Timeline
Official oath of office
According to the First Schedule section of the 1966 Constitution of Barbados, the official oath of office for the governor-general of Barbados was as follows:
I, (name), 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
In September 2020, the government of Barbados announced that it planned to abolish the Barbadian monarchy and the position of the governor-general, and the Queen of Barbados to be replaced with a ceremonial president, akin to that of the president of Trinidad and Tobago. Incumbent governor-general Sandra Mason was elected president on 20 October 2021 and took office on 30 November 2021.
See also
- Government House, the official residence of the governor-general
- Order of Barbados
- List of governors of Barbados
- Governor-General of the West Indies Federation
- List of prime ministers of Barbados
References
External links
Media related to Governors General of Barbados at Wiki Commons- About Queen Elizabeth II and her role in Barbados - Royal.uk
- Governor General of Barbados, Our Nation, Government of Barbados
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