The governor-general of Belize is the vice-regal representative of the Belizean 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 ...

, in

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wa ...

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

prime minister of Belize The following article contains a list of Prime Ministers of Belize and Deputy Prime Ministers, from the establishment of the position of First Minister of British Honduras in 1961 to the present day. Office of the Prime Minister of Belize The ...

. 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 oth ...

legislation Legislation is the process or result of enrolling, enacting, or promulgating laws by a legislature, parliament, or analogous governing body. Before an item of legislation becomes law it may be known as a bill, and may be broadly referred to ...

passed by the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the r ...

; and issuing writs for election. 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 br ...

, maintaining a political neutrality, and has to act only on the advice of the prime minister. The governor-general also has a ceremonial role: hosting events at the official residenceBelize House in the capital,

Belmopan Belmopan () is the capital city of Belize. Its population in 2010 was 16,451. In addition to being the smallest capital city in the continental Americas by population, Belmopan is the third-largest settlement in Belize, behind Belize City and S ...

and bestowing honours to individuals and groups who are contributing to their communities. When travelling abroad, the governor-general is seen as the representative of Belize and its monarch. Governors-general are appointed for a seven-year term of office. Since 27 May 2021, the governor-general has been

Dame Froyla Tzalam Dame Froyla Tzalam, , is a Belizean Mopan Maya anthropologist and community leader, who has served as the Governor-General of Belize since 27 May 2021. She is the first indigenous person of Maya descent to serve as governor-general of any cou ...

. The office of the governor-general was created on 21 September 1981, when Belize gained independence from the United Kingdom as a sovereign state and an independent constitutional monarchy. Since then, three individuals have served as governor-general.

Appointment

The governor-general is formally appointed by the monarch of Belize. 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.Part IV: The Governor-General
/ref> These oaths are administered by the Chief Justice of Belize.

Functions

The governor-general's powers and roles are derive from the Constitution of Belize's Part IV, sections 30 to 35 and set out certain provisions relating to the governor-general.

Constitutional role

The governor-general is responsible for 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 prime minister keeps the governor-general fully informed concerning the general conduct of the government of Belize and furnishes the governor-general with such information as the governor-general may request with respect to any particular matter relating to the government of Belize. The governor-general, on the Sovereign's behalf, gives

to laws passed by the National Assembly of Belize. The governor-general acts on the advice of government ministers, to issue regulations, proclamations under existing laws, to appoint state judges, ambassadors and high commissioners to overseas countries, and other senior government officials. The governor-general is also responsible for issuing Royal Commissions of Inquiry, and other matters, as required by particular legislation; and authorises many other executive decisions by ministers such as approving treaties with foreign governments. 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 after the prime minister 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 t ...

, welcoming visiting heads of state, and receiving the credentials of foreign diplomats. The governor-general attends military parades and special occasions, and presents Colours and other insignia to units of the Belize Defence Force and the Police Force. The governor-general also presents honours at investitures to persons for notable service to the community, or for acts of bravery.

Privileges

Salary

The ''Governor-General (Conditions of Service) Act 1989'' defines the salary, pension and other entitlements of the governor-general. The act was amended in 2021 to provide for a fixed seven-year term of office and raise the governor-general's salary to BZ$75,000. This was the first increase in salary since 1989.

Symbols

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

salute A salute is usually a formal hand gesture or other action used to display respect in military situations. Salutes are primarily associated with the military and law enforcement, but many civilian organizations, such as Girl Guides, Boy Sco ...

—composed of the first verse of "

God Save the King "God Save the King" is the national and/or royal anthem of the United Kingdom, most of the Commonwealth realms, their territories, and the British Crown Dependencies. The author of the tune is unknown and it may originate in plainchant, ...

" followed by the chorus of the Belizean National Anthem, " Land of the Free"— is used to greet the governor-general upon arrival at, and mark his or her departure from most official events.

Residences

The Governor General resided at

Government House, Belize The finest colonial structure in Belize City, Government House (now the House of Culture Museum) is said to have been built to plans by the illustrious British architect Sir Christopher Wren with a combination of Caribbean Vernacular and Englis ...

until 1984, even after the capital had moved to

in 1970. In 1984, the Governor General moved to

Belize House Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

in Belmopan, formerly the residence of the British High Commission on North Ring Road and Melhado Parade.

List of governors-general

Following is a list of people who have served as Governor-General of Belize since independence in 1981.

References

External links

* Belize Constitution {{DEFAULTSORT:Governor-General Of Belize Belize, List of Governors-General of Politics of Belize Government of Belize Governors-General 1981 establishments in Belize