The governor-general of Grenada is the vice-regal representative of the Grenadian monarch, currently

King Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to a ...

, in

Grenada Grenada ( ; Grenadian Creole French: ) is an island country in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea at the southern end of the Grenadines island chain. Grenada consists of the island of Grenada itself, two smaller islands, Carriacou and Pe ...

. The governor-general is appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the

prime minister of Grenada This is a list of heads of government of Grenada, from the establishment of the office of Chief Minister in 1960 to the present day. The Prime Minister appoints the Cabinet of Grenada. Heads of government before the 1974 independence Chief m ...

. The functions of the governor-general include appointing ministers, judges, and ambassadors; giving

royal assent Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in other ...

legislation Legislation is the process or result of enrolled bill, enrolling, enactment of a bill, enacting, or promulgation, promulgating laws by a legislature, parliament, or analogous Government, governing body. Before an item of legislation becomes law i ...

passed by the Grenadian Parliament; and issuing

writs for election A writ of election is a writ issued ordering the holding of an election. In Commonwealth countries writs are the usual mechanism by which general elections are called and are issued by the head of state or their representative. In the United S ...

. In general, the governor-general observes the conventions of the Westminster system and

responsible government Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability, the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy. Governments (the equivalent of the executive bran ...

, maintaining a political neutrality, and has to always act only on the advice of the prime minister. The governor-general also has a ceremonial role: hosting events at the official residenceGovernment House in the capital, St. George's and bestowing honours to individuals and groups who are contributing to Grenada and to their communities. When travelling abroad, the governor-general is seen as the representative of Grenada and its monarch. Governors-general formally serve " at the monarch's pleasure". Since 7 May 2013, the governor-general has been Dame Cécile La Grenade. The office of the governor-general was created on 7 February 1974, when Grenada gained independence from the United Kingdom as a sovereign state and an independent constitutional monarchy. Since then, 6 individuals have served as governor-general.

Appointment

The governor-general is formally appointed by the monarch of Grenada. When a new governor-general is to be appointed, the current prime minister recommends a name to the monarch, who by convention accepts that recommendation. At the installation ceremony, the new governor-general takes an Oath of Allegiance and Office.

Functions

Grenada shares the person of the sovereign equally with 14 other countries in the

Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. The chief institutions of the organisation are the Co ...

. As the sovereign works and resides predominantly outside of Grenadian borders, the governor-general's primary task is to perform the monarch's constitutional duties on his or her behalf. As such, the governor-general carries out his or her functions in the government of Grenada on behalf and in the name of the Sovereign, but is not involved in the day-to day running of the government. The governor-general's powers and roles are derive from the Grenadian constitution's Section 19 to 22, which set out certain provisions relating to the governor-general.

Constitutional role

The governor-general is responsible for summoning, proroguing, and dissolving parliament and issues writs for new elections. After an election, the governor-general formally requests the leader of the political party which gains the support of a majority in parliament to form a government. the governor-general commissions the prime minister and appoints other ministers after the election. The governor-general, on the Sovereign's behalf, gives

to laws passed by the Parliament of Grenada. The governor-general also appoints state judges, ministers ambassadors and high commissioners to overseas countries, and other senior government officials. The governor-general may, in certain circumstances, exercise without – or contrary to – ministerial advice. These are known as the reserve powers, and include: *appointing a prime minister if an election has resulted in a 'hung parliament'. *dismissing the prime minister who has lost the confidence of the parliament. *dismissing any minister acting unlawfully. *refusing to dissolve the House of Representatives despite a request from the prime minister.

Ceremonial role

The governor-general's ceremonial duties include opening new sessions of parliament by delivering the

Speech from the Throne A speech from the throne, or throne speech, is an event in certain monarchies in which the reigning sovereign, or a representative thereof, reads a prepared speech to members of the nation's legislature when a session is opened, outlining th ...

, welcoming visiting heads of state, and receiving the credentials of foreign diplomats. The governor-general also presents honours at investitures to Grenadians for notable service to the community, or for acts of bravery.

Community role

The governor-general provides non-partisan leadership in the community, acting as patron of many charitable, service, sporting and cultural organisations, and attending functions throughout the country. The governor-general also encourages, articulates and represents those things that unite Grenadians together. In this role, the governor-general: *attends charitable, social, and civic events across the country. *accepts patronage of many national, charitable, cultural, educational, sporting and professional organisations. *visits and gives speeches at non-governmental organisations.

Privileges

Through the passage of the ''National Honours and Awards Act'' in 2007, Grenada established two national orders: the

Order of Grenada The Order of Grenada is an order of chivalry and a society of honour instituted by Queen Elizabeth II in right of Grenada through the ''National Honours and Awards Act'' which having been passed by the House of Representatives of Grenada on 16 Nov ...

and the Prestige Order of the National Hero. The governor-general, serves as the Chancellor of all these orders.Chapter 204A National Honours and Awards Act , Government of Grenada
/ref>

Salary

The governor-general receives an annual salary of

EC$ The Eastern Caribbean dollar ( symbol: EC$; code: XCD) is the currency of all seven full members and one associate member of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). The successor to the British West Indies dollar, it has existed si ...

148,539.

Symbols

The governor-general uses a personal flag, which features a lion passant atop a St. Edward's royal crown with "Grenada" written on a scroll underneath, all on a blue background. It is flown on buildings and other locations in Grenada to mark the governor-general's presence.

Residence

Government House in St. George's is the official residence of the governor-general of Grenada. Since Government House was destroyed by

Hurricane Ivan Hurricane Ivan was a large, long-lived, Cape Verde hurricane that caused widespread damage in the Caribbean and United States. The cyclone was the ninth named storm, the sixth hurricane and the fourth major hurricane of the active 2004 Atlan ...

in 2004 however, the Governor-General has resided in a residence in Point Salines, south of the capital.

List of governors-general

Following is a list of people who have served as governor-general of Grenada since independence in 1974.

References

External links

Governor-General's website
{{Representatives of the monarch in Commonwealth realms and Dominions Grenada, List of Governors-General of

Governors-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

1974 establishments in Grenada