A Governor-General or Governor General is a vice-regal representative of a monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial state. Depending on the political arrangement of the territory, a Governor General can be a governor of high rank, or a principal governor ranking above "ordinary" governors.^[1]

Current uses [edit]

In modern usage, the term "Governor General" originated in those British colonies which became self-governing within the British empire. Before World War I, the title was used only in federated colonies in which each of the previously constituent colonies of these federated colonies already had a Governor, namely Canada, Australia, and the Union of South Africa. In these cases, the Crown's representative to the federated Dominion was given the superior title of Governor General. The first exception to this rule was New Zealand, which was granted Dominion status in 1907, but it was not until 28 June 1917 that the Arthur Foljambe, 2nd Earl of Liverpool was appointed the first Governor General of New Zealand. Another non-federal state, Newfoundland, was a Dominion for 16 years with the King's representative retaining the title of Governor throughout this time.

Since the 1950s, the title Governor General has been given to all representatives of the sovereign in independent Commonwealth realms. In these cases, the former office of colonial governor was altered (sometimes for the same incumbent) to become Governor General upon independence, as the nature of the office became an entirely independent constitutional representative of the monarch rather than a symbol of previous colonial rule. In these countries the Governor General acts as the Monarch's representative, performing the ceremonial and constitutional functions of a Head of State.

The only other nation which uses the Governor General designation is Iran, which has no connection with either the British (or any other) monarchy or the Commonwealth. In Iran, the provincial authority is headed by a Governor General^[2] (Persian: استاندار ostāndār), who is appointed by the Minister of the Interior.

British colonialism and the Governors-General [edit]

Lord Tweedsmuir was Governor General of Canada from 1935 to 1940. The uniform shown here was the customary ceremonial dress for Commonwealth Governors General until recently.

Until the 1920s, Governors-General were British subjects, appointed on the advice of the British Government, who acted as agents of the British Government in each Dominion, as well as being representatives of the monarch. As such they notionally held the prerogative powers of the monarch, and also held the executive power of the country to which they were assigned. The Governor-General could be instructed by the Colonial Secretary on the exercise of some of his functions and duties, such as the use or withholding of the Royal Assent from legislation; history shows many examples of Governors General using their prerogative and executive powers. The monarch or Imperial government could overrule any Governor General, though this could often be cumbersome, due to remoteness of the territories from London.

The Governor-General was also the head of the armed forces in his or her territory and, because of the Governor-General's control of the military, the post was as much a military appointment as a civil one. Indeed, until the late 20th century, the Governor-General's official attire was the court dress, Windsor uniform or other military uniform.

Modern Commonwealth [edit]

Independent Commonwealth realms [edit]

Following the Imperial Conference, and subsequent issuing of the Balfour Declaration in 1926, the role and responsibilities of the Governor General began to shift, reflecting the increased independence of the Dominions (which were in 1952 renamed Realms; a term which includes the UK itself). As the sovereign came to be regarded as monarch of each territory independently, and, as such, advised only by the ministers of each country in regard to said country's national affairs (as opposed to a single British monarch ruling all the Dominions as a conglomerate and advised only by an imperial parliament), so too did the Governor General become a direct representative of the national monarch only, who no longer answered to the British government. The report resulting from the 1926 Imperial Conference stated: "...it is an essential consequence of the equality of status existing among the members of the British Commonwealth of Nations that the Governor General of a Dominion is the representative of the Crown, holding in all essential respects the same position in relation to the administration of public affairs in the Dominion as is held by His Majesty the King in Great Britain, and that he is not the representative or agent of His Majesty's Government in Great Britain or of any Department of that Government."^[3] These concepts were entrenched in legislation with the enactment of the Statute of Westminster in 1931, and governmental relations with the United Kingdom were placed in the hands of a British High Commissioner in each country.

In other words, the political reality of a self-governing Dominion within the British Empire with a Governor General answerable to the sovereign of Great Britain became clear. British interference in the Dominion was not acceptable and independent country status was clearly displayed. Canada, Australia and New Zealand were clearly not controlled by the United Kingdom. The monarch of these countries (Elizabeth II) is in law Queen of Canada, Queen of Australia, and Queen of New Zealand and only acts on the advice of the ministers in each country and is in no way influenced by the British government. The monarch appoints a Governor General as a personal representative only on the advice of the Prime Minister of each realm. The Governor General of Canada is appointed by the Queen of Canada on the advice of the Canadian Prime Minister, the Governor-General of Australia is appointed by the Queen of Australia on the advice of the Australian Prime Minister, and the Governor-General of New Zealand is appointed by the Queen of New Zealand on the advice of the New Zealand Prime Minister.

Today, therefore, in former British colonies which are now independent Commonwealth realms, the Governor General is constitutionally the representative of the monarch in his or her state, and may exercise the reserve powers of the monarch according to their own constitutional authority. The Governor General, however, is still appointed by the monarch, and takes an oath of allegiance to the monarch of their own country. Executive authority is also vested in the monarch, though it can be placed with the Governor General on behalf of the sovereign of the independent realm. Letters of Credence or Letters of Recall are now sometimes received or issued in the name of the monarch, though in some countries, such as Canada and Australia, the Letters of Credence and Recall are issued in the name of the Governor General alone.

At diplomatic functions where the Governor General is present, the visiting diplomat or head of state toasts "The King" or "The Queen" of the relevant realm, not the Governor General, with any reference to the Governor General being subsidiary in later toasts if featuring at all, and will involve a toast to them by name, not office. (E.g., "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," not "Her Excellency, the Governor General." Sometimes a toast might be made using name and office, e.g., "Governor General Smith.")

Except in rare cases, the Governor General only acts in accordance with constitutional convention and upon the advice of the national Prime Minister.^[4] The Governor General is still the local representative of the sovereign, and performs the same duties as they carried out historically, though their role is almost purely ceremonial. Rare and controversial exceptions occurred in 1926, when Canadian Governor General Lord Byng refused Prime Minister Mackenzie King's request for a dissolution of parliament; in 1953 and 1954 when the Governor General of Pakistan, Ghulam Mohammad, staged a constitutional coup against the Prime Minister and then the Constituent Assembly; and in 1975, when the Governor General of Australia, Sir John Kerr, dismissed the Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam.^[5] In principle, the Crown could overrule a Governor General, but this has not happened in modern times.

The term de facto head of state, though having no constitutional status, has been used informally in Commonwealth realms to describe the role of a Governor General.

The Governor General is usually a person with a distinguished record of public service, often a retired politician, judge or military commander; but some countries have also appointed prominent academics, members of the clergy, philanthropists, or figures from the news media to the office. The Governor General is formally appointed by the Monarch, following the specific request of the Prime Minister of the country concerned; Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands are the only realms that elect their Governor General, in both cases by a parliamentary vote.

Traditionally, the Governor General's official attire was a military uniform, but this practice has been abandoned except on occasions when it is appropriate to be worn. In South Africa, the Governor General of the Union nominated by the Afrikaner Nationalist government chose not to wear uniform on any occasion. Most Governors General continue to wear appropriate medals on their clothing when required.

The Governor General's official residence is usually called Government House. The Governor-General of the Irish Free State resided in the then Viceregal Lodge in Phoenix Park, Dublin, but the government of Éamon de Valera sought to downgrade the office, and the last Governor General, Domhnall Ua Buachalla, did not reside there. The office was abolished there in 1936.

In most Commonwealth realms, the flag of the Governor General has been the standard pattern of a blue field with the Royal Crest (a lion standing on a crown) above a scroll with the name of the jurisdiction. In Canada, however, this was replaced with a crowned lion clasping a maple leaf. In the Solomon Islands, the scroll was replaced with a two-headed frigate bird motif, while in Fiji, the former Governor General's flag featured a whale's tooth. In New Zealand, the flag was replaced in 2008 with the shield of the coat of arms of New Zealand surmounted by a crown on a blue field.

Governors General are accorded the style of His/Her Excellency. This style is also extended to their spouses, whether female or male (for an example of the latter, see Jean-Daniel Lafond).

In former colonies which are now Commonwealth republics, the Governor General and Monarch have been replaced by an elected or appointed (sometimes non-executive) Head of State.

Appointment [edit]

Tim Healy
First Governor-General of the Irish Free State

Until the 1920s, the Governors General were British, and appointed on the advice of the British Government.

In December 1922, Tim Healy, an Irish Catholic politician, was appointed as the first Governor-General of the Irish Free State. This was the first time that someone other than a British Peer was appointed as the Governor-General of a dominion within the British Empire. Following the changes to the structure of the Commonwealth in the late 1920s, in 1929, the Australian Prime Minister James Scullin established the right of a Dominion Prime Minister to advise the Monarch directly on the appointment of a Governor General, by insisting that his choice (Sir Isaac Isaacs, an Australian) prevail over the recommendation of the British Government. The convention was gradually established throughout the Commonwealth that the Governor General would be a citizen of the country concerned, and would be appointed on the advice of the government of that country, with no input from the British Government; Governor General of Canada since 1952 and Governor General of New Zealand since 1967. Since 1931 as each former Dominion has patriated its constitution from the UK, the convention has become law and no government of any realm can advise the Monarch on any matter pertaining to another realm, including the appointment of a Governor General. Today a country's Governor-General is appointed by the Sovereign solely on the advice of the prime minister of the country concerned. In Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, the Prime Minister's advice is based on the result of a vote in the national Parliament.

Commonwealth countries with a Governor General [edit]

Clicking on the country above will take you the relevant Governor-General article.

A list of current Governors-General in Commonwealth countries may be found here: Representatives of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Other attributes [edit]

Different realms have different constitutional arrangements governing who acts in place of the Governor General in the event of his or her death, resignation, or incapacity.

• In Australia, an Administrator of the Commonwealth may be appointed to perform the necessary official functions, pending a decision by the Sovereign, on the advice of the Prime Minister, about a permanent replacement as Governor General. The Administrator has usually been the senior state governor. Each state governor normally holds what is known as a dormant commission. There have been cases where a governor has fallen out of favor with the government, causing their dormant commission to be revoked. The most recent example was that of Sir Colin Hannah, Governor of Queensland, in 1975.

• In Canada, Jamaica, and New Zealand, it is the Chief Justice.

• In Papua New Guinea, it is the Speaker of the House.

• Many Caribbean countries have a specific office of "Deputy Governor-General".

Former British colonies [edit]

The title has been used in many British colonial entities that either no longer exist or are now independent countries.

In the Americas [edit]

• The Federation of the West Indies (Antigua, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Turks and Caicos Islands), less commonly referred to as the British Caribbean Federation, had a single Governor-General during its short existence, 3 January 1958–31 May 1962: The Rt. Hon. The 1st Baron Hailes (b. 1901–d. 1974).

In Asia [edit]

• British India (the present Republic of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and till 1937 Burma, the present Myanmar)—see also Viceroy
• The Dominion of India (present Republic of India) (1947–1950)
  • Governor-General of India
• The Dominion of Pakistan (present Islamic Republic of Pakistan) (1947–1956)
  • Governor-General of Pakistan
• The Dominion of Ceylon (present Sri Lanka) (1948–1972)
  • The Governor-General of Ceylon

Former Commonwealth realms [edit]

Most Commonwealth countries that are now republics have a President as head of state, where previously they had a Governor General. Some became parliamentary republics, like India, where the presidency is a ceremonial post, similar to that of the British monarch, while others, like Ghana, adopted a presidential system like the United States. Australia held a referendum on becoming a parliamentary republic in 1999, but this was rejected.

The current governments of Barbados and Jamaica, while having announced plans to hold referendums on becoming republics (in each case with a non-executive President replacing the Queen as head of state, as occurred in Trinidad and Tobago in 1976), have not proceeded any further.

In Africa [edit]

• 1 August 1953–31 December 1963 The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (also called the Central African Federation) comprising Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) and Nyasaland (now Malawi).
• Sudan as Anglo-Egyptian Sudan between 1899 and 1 January 1956.
• Gambia, two incumbents:
  • 18 February 1965–9 February 1966 Sir John Warburton Paul (b. 1916–d. 2004), formerly the last colonial Governor
  • 9 February 1966–24 April 1970 Sir Farimang Mamadi Singateh (b. 1912-d.- 1977); the country became a republic with Dawda Jawara, formerly Prime Minister, as executive President.
• Dominion of Ghana:
  • 6 March 1957–24 June 1957 Sir Charles Arden-Clarke (b. 1898–d. 1962), formerly the last colonial Governor
  • 24 June 1957–1 July 1960 The Rt. Hon. The 5th Earl of Listowel (b. 1906–d. 1997); the country became the first in Africa to become a republic within the Commonwealth, with Kwame Nkrumah, formerly Prime Minister, as executive President.
• Dominion of Kenya: 12 December 1963–12 December 1964 Malcolm MacDonald (b. 1901–d. 1981), formerly the last colonial Governor; the country became a republic with Jomo Kenyatta, formerly Prime Minister, as executive President.
• Malawi: 6 July 1964–6 July 1966 Sir Glyn Smallwood Jones (b. 1908–d. 1992), formerly the last colonial Governor (until 1963 of "Nyasaland"), the country became a republic with Kamuzu Banda, formerly Prime Minister, as executive President.
• Mauritius: Sir John Shaw Rennie (12 March–3 September 1968) formerly the last colonial Governor. The country became a republic on 12 March 1992 with the last Governor-General, Veerasamy Ringadoo, as the first ceremonial President.
• Dominion of Nigeria:
  • 1 October 1960–16 November 1960 Sir James Wilson Robertson (b. 1899–d. 1983), Non-party (previously colonial Governor-General).
  • 16 November 1960–1 October 1963 Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe (b. 1904–d. 1996) NCNC; became first ceremonial President of the Federal Republic
• Sierra Leone (See also Governor-General of Sierra Leone):
  • 27 April 1961–27 April 1962 Sir Maurice Henry Dorman (b. 1902–d. 1993), formerly the last colonial Governor
  • 27 April 1962–April 1967 Sir Henry Josiah Lightfoot Boston (b. 1898–d. 1969) (acting to 27 July 1962)
  • April 1967–18 April 1968 Andrew Terence Juxon-Smith (acting) (b. 1933–d. 1996)
  • 18 April 1968–22 April 1968 John Amadu Bangura (acting) (b. 1930–d. 1971)
  • 22 April 1968–31 March 1971 Banja Tejan-Sie (from 1970, Sir Banja Tejan-Sie) (b. 1917–d. 2000)
  • 31 March 1971–19 April 1971 Christopher Cole (acting) (b. 1921–d. after 1990); briefly first President, before being succeeded by Prime Minister Siaka Stevens, who became executive President.
• South Africa from 31 May 1910 when Cape, Natal, Orange Free State and Transvaal united as a dominion (Union of South Africa) until 31 May 1961 declaration of the Republic of South Africa. The last Governor-General of the Union of South Africa, Charles Robberts Swart, became the first State President of South Africa.
• Tanganyika (now Tanzania): 9 December 1961–9 December 1962 Sir Richard Gordon Turnbull (b. 1909–d. 1998), formerly the last colonial Governor; the country became a republic with Julius Nyerere, formerly Prime Minister, as executive President.
• Uganda: 9 October 1962–9 October 1963 Sir Walter Coutts (b. 1912–d. 1988), formerly the last colonial Governor; the country became a republic with Edward Mutesa, Kabaka of Buganda, as ceremonial President.

• In Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), a unique situation arose following the Unilateral Declaration of Independence in 1965, unrecognised by the United Kingdom. The Rhodesian Front government of Ian Smith recognised Elizabeth II as "Queen of Rhodesia", but refused to recognise the authority of her Governor Sir Humphrey Gibbs, whose duties were performed by an Officer Administering the Government, Clifford Dupont (b. 1905–d. 1978). Dupont served in the post until 2 March 1970, when Rhodesia was declared a republic (an act also unrecognised internationally) and he became President. The country became an independent republic within the Commonwealth as Zimbabwe on 18 April 1980.

Zambia and the Seychelles became republics within the Commonwealth on independence.

In the Americas [edit]

• Guyana:
  • 26 May 1966–16 December 1966 Sir Richard Luyt (b. 1915–d. 1994), formerly the last colonial Governor
  • 16 December 1966–10 November 1969 Sir David James Gardiner Rose (b. 1923–d. 1969)
  • 10 November 1969–22 February 1970 Sir Edward Luckhoo (acting) (b. 1912–d. 1998); succeeded by the first President
• Trinidad and Tobago:
  • 31 August 1962–15 September 1972 Sir Solomon Hochoy (b. 1905–d. 1983), formerly the last colonial Governor
  • 15 September 1972–1 August 1976 Sir Ellis Clarke (b. 1917)

Dominica became a republic on independence in 1978, with a ceremonial President as head of state.

In Asia [edit]

• India
  • 15 August 1947–21 June 1948 Louis Francis Mountbatten, Earl Mountbatten of Burma (s.a.), formerly the last colonial Viceroy
  • 21 June 1948–26 January 1950 Chakravarti Rajagopalachari (b. 1878–d. 1972); became the first republic within the Commonwealth
• Pakistan
  • 14 August 1947–11 September 1948 Mohammad Ali Jinnah (b. 1876–d. 1948)
  • 14 September 1948–17 October 1951 Khawaja Nazimuddin (b. 1894–d. 1964)
  • 17 October 1951–6 October 1955 Ghulam Muhammad (b. 1895–d. 1956)
  • 6 October 1955–23 March 1956 Iskander Mirza (b. 1899–d. 1969); became the first President when Pakistan became an Islamic republic
• Ceylon (now Sri Lanka):
  • 4 February 1948–6 July 1949 Sir Henry Monck-Mason Moore (b. 1887–d. 1964), previously the last colonial Governor)
  • 6 July 1949–17 July 1954 Herwald Ramsbotham, Baron Soulbury (b. 1887–d. 1971)
  • 17 July 1954–2 March 1962 Sir Oliver Ernest Goonetilleke (b. 1892–d. 1978)
  • 2 March 1962–22 May 1972 William Gopallawa (b. 1897–d. 1981)); became the first President of the republic of Sri Lanka

In Europe [edit]

• Irish Free State Governor-General of the Irish Free State dominion 6 December 1922 until 29 December 1937.
• Malta:
  • 21 September 1964–4 July 1971 Sir Maurice Henry Dorman (b. 1902–d. 1993), formerly the last colonial Governor
  • 4 July 1971–13 December 1974 Sir Anthony Joseph Mamo (b. 1909-d. 2008); became first President of Malta

Cyprus became a republic on independence.

In Oceania [edit]

• Fiji:
  • 10 October 1970–13 January 1973 Sir Robert Sidney Foster (b. 1913–d. 2005), formerly the last colonial Governor
  • 13 January 1973–12 February 1983 Ratu Sir George Cakobau (b. 1912–d. 1989)
  • 12 February 1983–6 October 1987 Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau (b. 1918–d. 1993); it became a republic under a President on 5 December 1987

Other colonial and similar usages [edit]

Belgium [edit]

• Belgian Congo;
• Ruanda-Urundi

France [edit]

The equivalent word in French is gouverneur général, used in the following colonies:

• From 1887 to 1945 the French appointed a Governor-General to govern French Indo-China (now Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia); the function of High commissioner in the Pacific Ocean, from 22 March 1907 held by the Governors of New Caledonia, was used to coordinate that colony, the other French Settlements in Oceania and the governors-general of French Indochina and the Resident commissioners of the New Hebrides and the Residents of Wallis and Futuna were subordinated to him.
• Governor General of New France was the vice-regal post in New France from 1663 until 1760 and was the last French vice-regal post. It was replaced by the British post of Governor of the Province of Quebec following the fall of New France. While the districts of Montreal and Trois-Rivières had their own governors, the Governor General of New France and the Governor of the district of Quebec were the same person.
• From 1699–1947, the French appointed a Governor-General to administer French India (including Pondichéry).
• Governors-general of the Mascarene Islands (under control of the chartered Compagnie des Indes to 14 July 1767) from 4 June 1735 (succeeding to governors), and after its split-up of Mauritius (Réunion and the Seychelles got lower-styled Commandants or Governors), till 25 September 1803
• Haiti January 1714 - 31 December 1803; last incumbent Jean-Jacques Dessalines shortly maintained the title after the January I, 1804 independence before proclaiming himself 'emperor' Jacques I
• Since its creation on 16 June 1895 in French West Africa (AOF), until 4 April 1957; the last stayed on as first of two High commissioners
• Madagascar
• From 28 June 1908 (previously it had a Commissaire général, i.e. Commissioner general) to 4 April 1957 (the last stayed on as first of three High commissioners) in French Equatorial Africa (AEF); during several periods he also acted as Governor of the constitutive colony Congo Brazzaville.

Furthermore, in Napoleonic Europe successive French Governors-general were appointed by Napoleon I in:

• the German states of Brandenburg (various other got 'mere' Governors), two incumbents between 27 October 1806 and 10 December 1808, during the French occupation
• Province of Courland under the French occupation (from 1 August 1812, Duchy of Courland and Semigallia and District of Pilten nominally re-established under joint French-Saxon protectorate 8 October 1812 - 20 December 1812) : Jacques David Martin, baron de Campredon (b. 1761 - d. 1837)
• Parma and Piacenza under occupation, (after a Commissioner) 15 February 1804 - 23 July 1808, later annexed as département under a Prefect of Taro
• principality of Piombino May 1806 - 1811 : Adolphe Beauvais (d. 1811)
• annexed Tuscany, two incumbents, over prefects for Arno, Méditerranée [Mediterranean] and Ombrone:
  • May 1808 - 3 March 1809 Jacques François de Boussay, baron de Menou (b. 1750 - d. 1810)
  • 3 March 1809 - 1 February 1814 Elisa Baciocchi Bonaparte (with courtesy style of Grand Duchess of Tuscany) (b. 1777 - d. 1820)
• the Illyrian provinces (comprising present Croatia, Slovenia and even adjacent parts of Austria and Italy), annexed as part of the French Empire proper, 14 October 1809 - August 1813

Netherlands [edit]

From 1691 to 1948 the Dutch appointed a Gouverneur-generaal ("Governor-General") to govern the Netherlands East Indies, now Indonesia.

While in the Caribbean, various other titles were used, Curaçao had three Governors-General between 1816 and 1820:

• 1816–1819 Albert Kikkert
• 1819–1820 Petrus Bernardus van Starkenborgh
• 1820 Isaäk Johannes Rammelman Elsevier

Spain [edit]

• From 21 November 1564 the Spanish colony Islas Filipinas had a Governor-General, subordinated to the Viceroy of New Spain in Mexico until the latter's independence in 1821. Thereafter, the Governor-general reported directly to Spain.

Portugal [edit]

The equivalent word in Portuguese is governador-geral. This title was only used for the governors of the major colonies, indicating that they had, under their authority, several subordinate governors. In most of the colonies, lower titles, mainly governador (governor) or captain-major, prevailed

• In the Portuguese State of India (Estado da Índia, capital Goa) the style was changed repeatedly for another, mostly Vice-Rei (Viceroy). The Viceroy title was usually reserved for members of the Portuguese Royal Family, the remaining governors receiving the title of governador-general;
• In Brazil, after a few governors, from 1578 till its promotion on 13 July 1714 to Viceroyalty
• in Africa, from 1837 Portugal appointed a governor-general to govern the colony of Portuguese West Africa (later Angola), and another in Mozambique (Portuguese East Africa). Between 1921 and 1930, additional powers were given to some of the Angola and Mozambique governors, who were restyled in full Alto-comissário e governador-geral (High commissioner and governor-general).

U.S.A. [edit]

• From 1905 to 1935 the Philippines (since 13 August 1898 a U.S. territory; first under 3 Military and 2 ordinary Governors) was administered by a series of Governors General appointed by the United States.

Other Western usages [edit]

• Governor-General in the Swedish Realm
• From 1636 to 1815, the Governors-General of Sweden typically were appointed for the Swedish Dominions on the eastern side of the Baltic and in northern Germany, but occasionally also for Scania.
• From 1809 to 1918 there were Russian Governor-General of Finland in the Grand Duchy of Finland; Governors-General of Poland in Vistula Land and in various other Governorates-General.
• From 1939 to 1944, during the German occupation of Poland, part of the country was designated the General Government and the Nazi official Hans Frank had the title Governor-General (Generalgouverneur für die besetzten polnischen Gebiete).
• the kingdom of Saxony had a Governor general twice, under Allied control after French emperor Napoleon I's defeat:
  • 28 October 1813 - 8 November 1814 Prince Nikolay Grigorievich Repnin-Volkonsky (Russia) (b. 1778 - d. 1845)
  • 8 November 1814 - 8 June 1815 Eberhard Friedrich Christoph Ludwig, Freiherr von der Recke (Prussia) (b. 1744 - d. 1826)
• during the occupation of Serbia by Austrian-Hungarian and Bulgarian forces, the Austrian-Hungarian government appointed three consecutive governors-general:
  • 1 January 1916 - July 1916 Johan Ulrich Graf von Salis-Seewis (b. 1862 - d. 1940)
  • July 1916 - October 1918 Adolf Freiherr von Rhemen zu Barensfeld (b. 1855 - d. 1932)
  • October 1918 - 1 November 1918 Hermann Freiherr Kövess von Kövessháza (b. 1854 - d. 1924; a former military commander in northern Serbia)
• From 1913 until the 1950s, Greece had four state officials, often of cabinet rank, who were labelled "Governor-Generals" and supervised administration in the territories won during and after the Balkan Wars of 1912-13 (the so-called "New Lands"): Crete, Epirus, Macedonia and Thrace, the latter two grouped together after World War II as "Northern Greece".

Asian counterparts [edit]

• From 1644 to 1911, in Qing Dynasty China, a Governor General or zongdu (Chinese: 总督) was the highest official of joint military and civil affairs in one or several provinces (alternately translated as Viceroy)
• Imperial Japan:
  • From 1895 to 1945, Taiwan was administered by the Japanese Governor-General of Taiwan.
  • From 1910 to 1945, Korea was administered by the Japanese Governor-General of Korea.
• Islamic Republic of Iran
  • The provincial authority is headed by a Governor-General^[2] (Persian: استاندار ostāndār).

See also [edit]

• Administrator of the Government
• Governor-in-chief
• Governor
• Lieutenant-Governor
• High Commissioner
• Governor-General of the Philippines
• Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles; territories of the Dutch Monarchy
• See "Guberniya" for governor-generalship in the Russian Empire
• Representatives of the Commonwealth of Nations
• Each current Commonwealth realm's Governor-General has his/her own article:
  • List of Governors-General of Antigua and Barbuda
  • List of Governors-General of Australia
  • List of Governors-General of the Bahamas
  • List of Governors-General of Barbados
  • List of Governors-General of Belize
  • List of Governors General of Canada
  • List of Governors-General of Grenada
  • List of Governors-General of Jamaica
  • List of Governors-General of New Zealand
  • Governor-General of Papua New Guinea
  • List of Governors-General of Saint Lucia
  • List of Governors-General of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  • List of Governors-General of Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • Governor-General of the Solomon Islands
  • Governor-General of Tuvalu
• Some defunct political entities: Governor-General of the Irish Free State, Governor-General of the Federation of the West Indies, Governor-General of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Governor of Southern Rhodesia, Governor-General of French Indochina
• Some former Commonwealth realms in the Americas Governor-General of Guyana, Governor-General of Trinidad and Tobago
• Some former Commonwealth realms in Africa: Governor-General of Nigeria, Governor-General of Sierra Leone, Governor-General of Tanzania, Governor-General of the Union of South Africa, Governor-General of Uganda, Governor-General of Gambia, Governor-General of Kenya, Governor-General of Ghana, Governor-General of Malawi
• Some former Commonwealth realms in Asia Governor-General of India, Governor-General of Pakistan, Governor-General of Sri Lanka
• Some former Commonwealth realms in Europe Governor-General of Malta
• Some former Commonwealth realms in Oceania Governor-General of Fiji

Note [edit]

In Canada the title "Governor General" is always used unhyphenated. In Australia and New Zealand, the term is always hyphenated.^[6][7]

References [edit]

1. ^ "Governor General" definition on dictionary.com (retrieved 14 February 2006)
2. ^ ^{a b} IRNA, Online Edition. "Paris for further cultural cooperation with Iran". Retrieved 2007-10-21. 
3. ^ Heard, Andrew (1990), "Canadian Independence", Vancouver: Simon Fraser University, retrieved 25 August 2010 
4. ^ In particular, see the history of the Governor General of Australia
5. ^ Letter from the Queen's Private Secretary to the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Australia of 17 November 1975, at The Whitlam Dismissal, retrieved 15 February 2006.
6. ^ Governor General of Australia ~ Welcome Message - Main Home Page
7. ^ www.gov-gen.govt.nz

External links [edit]

• WorldStatesmen
• National Museum of Australia Governor-General's dispatch box (1937–1952)