Governor-General of Barbados facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 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 | John Montague Stow |
| Final holder | Sandra Mason |
| Abolished | 30 November 2021 |
| Salary | 220,998 BBD annually |
The Governor-General of Barbados was a very important person in the government of Barbados. This role was the main representative of the Barbadian monarch (the Queen) in Barbados. The position existed from when Barbados became an independent country in 1966 until it became a republic in 2021.
The job was created by the 1966 Constitution of Barbados. A constitution is like a rulebook for how a country is run. The Governor-General was chosen by the Queen, but only after the Prime Minister of Barbados suggested who it should be. The Governor-General used some of the Queen's powers, like approving new laws. However, they usually acted on the advice of the Prime Minister or other groups in Barbados.
The office of Governor-General started when Barbados gained its independence in 1966. Over the years, Barbados had 8 different Governors-General. On November 30, 2021, Barbados changed and became a republic. This meant the country no longer had a Queen as its head of state, and the job of Governor-General was ended.
Contents
What the Governor-General Did
The Governor-General was the Queen's main helper in Barbados. They represented the Queen at special events. These events included the opening of Parliament, giving out awards, and military parades.
The country's constitution gave the Governor-General power to do certain things. For example, they could appoint people to government jobs. They could also forgive someone who had been found guilty of a crime. Another power was to pause or end a session of Parliament. However, the Governor-General usually needed the Prime Minister's approval to use these powers. They rarely acted completely on their own.
The Governor-General of Barbados also led the Privy Council of Barbados. This was a group of advisors to the government.
People Who Served as Governor-General
Here is a list of the people who were Governor-General of Barbados. This includes those who held the official role and those who acted as Governor-General for a short time. The role existed from Barbados's independence in 1966 until it became a republic in 2021.
Symbols
- : Died while in office.
Denotes acting governors-general
| 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 of Governors-General
| {{{before}}} | {{{title}}} {{{years}}} |
{{{after}}} |
The Official Oath
When a Governor-General took office, they had to say a special promise called an oath. This oath was written in the 1966 Constitution of Barbados. It was a promise to serve the Queen.
The oath was:
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.
Why the Role Ended
In September 2020, the government of Barbados announced a big change. They planned to stop having the Queen as their head of state. This meant the job of Governor-General would also end. Instead, Barbados would have its own President. This new President would be a ceremonial leader, similar to the President in Trinidad and Tobago.
The last Governor-General, Sandra Mason, was chosen to be the first President of Barbados on October 20, 2021. She officially became President on November 30, 2021. On that same day, the role of Governor-General was officially abolished.
See Also
- Government House, the official home 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
