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]
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 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.
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.
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
^Madden, Marlon, ed. (17 September 2020). "Wickham predicts Barbados' republic model to mirror Trinidad's". Top Featured Article. Barbados Today. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2021. As Barbados prepares to ditch the Queen as its Head of State and become a republic, a prominent political scientist is predicting that Prime Minister Mia Mottley will follow the Trinidad and Tobago model. What's more, Peter Wickham has shot down any idea of the Barbados Labour Party administration holding a referendum on the matter, saying that to do so would be a "mistake". "There is no need to and I don't think it makes a lot of sense. We had a situation where since 1999 this [political party] indicated its desire to go in the direction of a republic. The Opposition has always supported it.... So, I think there is enough cohesion in that regard to go with it," he said.
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