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Governor-General of Barbados
Representative of the monarch of Barbados
Representative of the monarch of Barbados
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| status | Abolished |
| post | Governor-General of Barbados |
| flag | Flag of the Governor-General of Barbados.svg |
| flagsize | 160px |
| flagcaption | Flag of the governor-general |
| flagborder | yes |
| insignia | Coat of arms of Barbados (3).svg |
| insigniasize | 100px |
| insigniacaption | Coat of arms of Barbados |
| image | Sandra of Barbados.jpg |
| imagecaption | **Last in office |
| Sandra Mason** | |
| 8 January 2018 – 30 November 2021 | |
| style | His/Her Excellency |
| residence | Government House, Barbados |
| appointer | Monarch of Barbados |
| termlength | At Her Majesty's pleasure |
| formation | 30 November 1966 |
| abolished | 30 November 2021 |
| first | John Montague Stow |
| last | Sandra Mason |
| salary | 220,998 BBD annually |
Sandra Mason** 8 January 2018 – 30 November 2021
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.
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 eight 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
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 | [[File:Insigne Barbatae.svg | 70px]] | John Montague Stow |
| (1911–1997) | 30 November | ||
| 1966 | 18 May | ||
| 1967 | 169 days | [[File:Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (1959).jpg | 70px]] |
| Elizabeth II | |||
| [[File:Coat of arms of Barbados (3).svg | 60px]] | ||
| (1966–2021) | |||
| 2 | [[File:Insigne Barbatae.svg | 70px]] | Arleigh Winston Scott |
| (1900–1976) | 18 May | ||
| 1967 | 9 August | ||
| 1976 | 9 years, | ||
| – | [[File:Insigne Barbatae.svg | 70px]] | William Douglas |
| (1921–2003) | |||
| Acting Governor-General | 9 August | ||
| 1976 | 17 November | ||
| 1976 | 100 days | ||
| 3 | [[File:Insigne Barbatae.svg | 70px]] | Deighton Lisle Ward |
| (1909–1984) | 17 November | ||
| 1976 | 9 January | ||
| 1984 | 7 years, | ||
| – | [[File:Insigne Barbatae.svg | 70px]] | William Randolph Douglas |
| (1921–2003) | |||
| Acting Governor-General | 10 January | ||
| 1984 | 24 February | ||
| 1984 | 45 days | ||
| 4 | [[File:Insigne Barbatae.svg | 70px]] | Hugh Springer |
| (1913–1994) | 24 February | ||
| 1984 | 6 June | ||
| 1990 | 6 years, | ||
| 5 | [[File:Insigne Barbatae.svg | 70px]] | Nita Barrow |
| (1916–1995) | 6 June | ||
| 1990 | 19 December | ||
| 1995 | 5 years, | ||
| – | [[File:Insigne Barbatae.svg | 70px]] | Denys Williams |
| (1929–2014) | |||
| Acting Governor-General | 19 December | ||
| 1995 | 1 June | ||
| 1996 | 165 days | ||
| 6 | [[File:Insigne Barbatae.svg | 70px]] | Clifford Husbands |
| (1926–2017) | 1 June | ||
| 1996 | 31 October | ||
| 2011 | 15 years, | ||
| – | [[File:Elliott Belgrave 2016.jpg | 70px]] | Elliott Belgrave |
| (b. 1931) | |||
| Acting Governor-General | 1 November | ||
| 2011 | 30 May | ||
| 2012 | 211 days | ||
| – | [[File:Sandra Mason at Remembrance Day Parade and Service 20191110.jpg | 70px]] | Sandra Mason |
| (b. 1949) | |||
| Acting Governor-General | 30 May | ||
| 2012 | 1 June | ||
| 2012 | 2 days | ||
| 7 | [[File:Elliott Belgrave 2016.jpg | 70px]] | Elliott Belgrave |
| (b. 1931) | 1 June | ||
| 2012 | 30 June | ||
| 2017 | 5 years, | ||
| – | [[File:Insigne Barbatae.svg | 70px]] | Philip Greaves |
| (b. 1931) | |||
| Acting Governor-General | 1 July | ||
| 2017 | 8 January | ||
| 2018 | 191 days | ||
| 8 | [[File:Sandra Mason at Remembrance Day Parade and Service 20191110.jpg | 70px]] | Sandra Mason |
| (b. 1949) | 8 January | ||
| 2018 | 30 November | ||
| 2021 |
Timeline
ImageSize = width:600 height:auto barincrement:12 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:80 right:130 left:20 AlignBars = late
Colors = id:official value:gray(0.65) legend: Official id:acting value:dullyellow legend: Acting id:gray1 value:gray(0.85) id:gray2 value:gray(0.95)
DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1966 till:01/01/2022 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = gridcolor:gray1 unit:year increment:5 start:1966 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:gray2 unit:year increment:1 start:1966
Legend = columns:1 left:205 top:35 columnwidth:75
BarData= bar:Stow bar:Scott bar:Douglas(acting) bar:Ward bar:Douglas(acting)2 bar:Springer bar:Barrow bar:Williams bar:Husbands bar:Belgrave(acting) bar:Mason(acting) bar:Belgrave bar:Greaves(acting) bar:Mason
PlotData= width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till
bar:Stow from: 30/11/1966 till: 18/05/1967 color:official text:"John Stow" fontsize:10 bar:Scott from: 18/05/1967 till: 09/08/1976 color:official text:"Winston Scott" fontsize:10 bar:Douglas(acting) from: 09/08/1976 till: 17/11/1976 color:acting text:"William Douglas" fontsize:10 bar:Ward from: 17/11/1976 till: 09/01/1984 color:official text:"Deighton Ward" fontsize:10 bar:Douglas(acting)2 from: 10/01/1984 till: 24/02/1984 color:acting text:"William Douglas" fontsize:10 bar:Springer from: 24/02/1984 till: 06/06/1990 color:official text:"Hugh Springer" fontsize:10 bar:Barrow from: 06/06/1990 till: 19/12/1995 color:official text:"Nita Barrow" fontsize:10 bar:Williams from: 19/12/1995 till: 01/06/1996 color:acting text:"Denys Williams" fontsize:10 bar:Husbands from: 01/06/1996 till: 31/10/2011 color:official text:"Clifford Husbands" fontsize:10 bar:Belgrave(acting) from: 01/11/2011 till: 30/05/2012 color:acting text:"Elliot Belgrave" fontsize:10 bar:Mason(acting) from: 30/05/2012 till: 01/06/2012 color:acting text:"Sandra Mason" fontsize:10 bar:Belgrave from: 01/06/2012 till: 30/06/2017 color:official text:"Elliot Belgrave" fontsize:10 bar:Greaves(acting) from: 01/07/2017 till: 08/01/2018 color:acting text:"Philip Greaves" fontsize:10 bar:Mason from: 08/01/2018 till: 30/11/2021 color:official text:"Sandra Mason" fontsize:10
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:
Abolition
Main article: Republicanism in Barbados
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.
References
References
- Government Printing Department. "SCHEDULES OF PERSONAL EMOLUMENTS 2016 – 2017".
- "Table of Precedence for Barbados - July, 2008".
- [[#refConstitution. Constitution]], Chapter IV
- [[#refConstitution. Constitution]], Chapter IV, Section 28(1)
- [[#refConstitution. Constitution]], Chapter IV, Section 32
- [[#refConstitution. Constitution]], Chapter V, Section 58(1)
- [[#refConstitution. Constitution]], Chapter IV, Section 32
- "Queen's role in Barbados". [[Monarchy of Barbados.
- [[#refConstitution. Constitution]], Chapter VI, Part 1; Section 28
- [[#refConstitution. Constitution]], Chapter III, Part 15; Section 25(1)(a)
- [https://www.barbadostoday.bb/2017/11/21/the-role-of-gg-is-not-just-ceremonial-says-arthur/ The role of GG is not just ceremonial, says Arthur]
- [[#refConstitution. Constitution]], Chapter VI, Part 2; Section 78(1)(a)
- (17 September 2020). "Wickham predicts Barbados' republic model to mirror Trinidad's". Barbados Today.
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