This article lists the heads of state of Malta, from

independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...

as the

State of Malta The State of Malta ( mt, Stat ta’ Malta), commonly known as Malta, was the predecessor to the modern-day Republic of Malta. It existed between 21 September 1964 and 13 December 1974. The Crown Colony of Malta became independent under the Malt ...

in 1964 to present. From 1964 to 1974, Malta was a

Commonwealth realm A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state in the Commonwealth of Nations whose monarch and head of state is shared among the other realms. Each realm functions as an independent state, equal with the other realms and nations of the Commonwealt ...

and its head of state under the

Constitution of Malta The current Constitution of Malta ( mt, Konstituzzjoni ta' Malta) was adopted as a legal order on 21 September 1964, and is the self-declared supreme law of the land. Therefore, any law or action in violation of the Constitution is null and void. ...

was the

queen of Malta Elizabeth II was Queen of Malta ( mt, Reġina ta' Malta) as head of state of Malta from 1964 to 1974. Malta was an independent sovereign state and a constitutional monarchy, sharing a monarch with other Commonwealth realms, including the United ...

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

– who was also simultaneously the

queen of the United Kingdom The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies (the Bailiwi ...

and the other Commonwealth realms. She was represented in Malta by a

governor-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 ...

. Malta became a

republic within the Commonwealth A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...

after constitutional amendments in 1974, and the position of monarch and governor-general were replaced by a

president of Malta The president of Malta ( mt, President ta' Malta) is the constitutional head of state of Malta. The President is indirectly elected by the House of Representatives of Malta, which appoints the president for a five-year term and requires them to ...

who is

indirectly elected An indirect election or ''hierarchical voting'' is an election in which voters do not choose directly among candidates or parties for an office (direct voting system), but elect people who in turn choose candidates or parties. It is one of the old ...

Queen of Malta (1964–1974)

The succession to the throne was the same as the

succession to the British throne Succession to the British throne is determined by descent, gender, legitimacy and religion. Under common law, the Crown is inherited by a sovereign's children or by a childless sovereign's nearest collateral line. The Bill of Rights 1689 an ...

Governors-General of Malta

The

Governor-General of Malta The governor-general of Malta ( mt, Gvernatur-Ġenerali ta' Malta) was the official representative of Elizabeth II, Queen of Malta, in the State of Malta from 1964 to 1974. This office replaced that of the governor, and it was replaced by that ...

was the representative of the monarch in Malta and exercised most of the powers of the monarch. The Governor-General was appointed for an indefinite term, serving at the pleasure of the Monarch. After the passage of the

Statute of Westminster 1931 The Statute of Westminster 1931 is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that sets the basis for the relationship between the Commonwealth realms and the Crown. Passed on 11 December 1931, the statute increased the sovereignty of the ...

, the Governor-General was appointed solely on the advice of the

Cabinet of Malta The Cabinet of Malta is the collective decision-making body of the Government of Malta, composed of the Prime Minister and a number of ministers who are selected by the Prime Minister from the elected members of the House of Representatives to head ...

without the involvement of the British government. In the event of a vacancy the Chief Justice served as

Officer Administering the Government An administrator (administrator of the government or officer administering the government) in the constitutional practice of some countries in the Commonwealth is a person who fulfils a role similar to that of a governor or a governor-general. ...

. ;Status

Presidents of the Republic of Malta (1974–present)

Under the

as amended in 1974, the position of President of Malta replaced the British Monarch as head of state. The position of President is elected by

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

for a five-year term. As from 1989, the President is traditionally inaugurated on April 4th of the year of the nomination and subsequent election of the President by Parliament, provided the preceding President has not resigned before their term expired. In the event of a vacancy, or for any reason the President is unable to perform the functions conferred upon them by the Constitution, those functions are performed by an Acting President ( mt, Aġent President) appointed by the Prime Minister, after consultation with the Leader of the Opposition. If there is no person in Malta so appointed and able to perform those functions, the Chief Justice serves as Acting President. ;Political parties ;Other factions ;Status

Standards

File:Royal Standard of Malta (1964–1974).svg, Royal Standard File:Flag of the Governor-General of Malta (1964–1974).svg, Governor-General's Standard File:Flag of the President of Malta.svg, Presidential Standard

External links

World Statesmen – Malta

{{Malta topics Government of Malta

Head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may ...

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

Heads of state A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 "he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and le ...

Queen of Malta (1964–1974)

Governors-General of Malta

Presidents of the Republic of Malta (1974–present)

Standards

See also

External links