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.^[2]

Governor-General of Barbados
Coat of arms of Barbados
Flag of the governor-general
Final Holder Sandra Mason 8 January 2018 – 30 November 2021
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[1]

The office was established by Chapter IV of the 1966 Constitution of Barbados.^[3] The governor-general was appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister of Barbados.^[4][5] The governor-general exercised the monarch's executive powers and gave assent to bills in the monarch's name, promulgating them as laws.^[6] 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.^[7]

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.^[8][9] 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.^[10]

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,^[11] granting "any person convicted of any offence against the laws of Barbados a pardon",^[12] 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.

  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	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

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.^[13] 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