Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands


The Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands is the representative of the British monarch in the United Kingdom's British Overseas Territory of Turks and Caicos Islands. The Governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government. The role of the Governor is to act as the head of state, and he or she is responsible for appointing the Premier and 5 members of the House of Assembly. The official residence of the Governor is Government House of Turks and Caicos Islands, Waterloo, Grand Turk.
In August 2009, the United Kingdom suspended the islands' self-government after allegations of ministerial corruption. The prerogative of the ministerial government and the House of Assembly were vested in the Governor until self-government was restored in 2012.
The Governor has his own flag in the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Union Flag with the territory's coat of arms superimposed.

History

The islands were a dependency of Jamaica until that colony received independence in 1962. Afterwards the governor of the Bahamas oversaw affairs from 1965 to 1973. With Bahamian independence, the islands received a separate governor in 1973.

Governors of The Turks and Caicos Islands

TermIncumbentNotes
1973–1975Alexander Graham Mitchell
1975–1978Arthur Christopher Watson
1978–1982John Clifford Strong
1982–1987Christopher J. Turner
1987–1993Michael J. Bradley
1993–1996Martin Bourke
1996–2000John Kelly
2000–2002Mervyn Jones
2002Cynthia Astwoodacting
2002–2005Jim Poston
2005Mahala Wynnsacting
2005–2008Richard Tauwhare
2008–5 August 2008Mahala Wynnsacting
5 August 2008–22 August 2011Gordon Wetherell
22 August–12 September 2011Martin Stanleyacting
12 September 2011–15 September 2013Ric Todd
15 September–9 October 2013Anya Williamsacting
9 October 2013–10 October 2016Peter Beckingham
10 October–17 October 2016Anya Williamsacting
17 October 2016–July 2019John Freeman
July 2019–Nigel Dakin