| Post: | Governor of Saint Helena |
| Flag: | Flag of the Governor of Saint Helena.svg |
| Flagsize: | 150px |
| Flagcaption: | Standard of the Governor of Saint Helena |
| Insignia: | Coat of Arms of Saint Helena.svg |
| Insigniasize: | 50px |
| Insigniacaption: | Coat of arms of Saint Helena |
| Incumbent: | Nigel Phillips |
| Incumbentsince: | 13 August 2022 |
| Style: | His Excellency |
| Residence: | Plantation House, St Helena |
| Appointer: | Monarch of the United Kingdom |
| Termlength: | At His Majesty's pleasure |
| Formation: | 1659 |
| First: | John Dutton |
| Website: | Government of St Helena |
The Governor of Saint Helena is the representative of the monarch in Saint Helena, a constituent part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. The governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government. The current governor of Saint Helena has been Nigel Phillips since 13 August 2022.
The role of the governor is to act as the de facto head of state and commander-in-chief of Saint Helena. The governor's responsibilities include internal security, external affairs, the administration of justice, finance, shipping and employment, as well as disciplinary action in respect of any public officer. The governor appoints the Chief Minister of Saint Helena and four other members of the Executive Council; the officeholder, with some exceptions, is bound to seek and act in accordance with their advice.
The governor is based on Saint Helena and appointed by the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The governor also appoints three members to Saint Helena's Executive Council (the balance being popularly elected)
The governor's flag in Saint Helena is the Union Flag defaced with the territory's coat of arms. The official residence, Plantation House, is located near the capital Jamestown. The Governor's Office is located within The Castle, along with the office of the chief secretary of Saint Helena, who runs the day-to-day administrative part of the government.
Prior to 2009, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha were dependencies of Saint Helena and therefore directly represented by the Governor of Saint Helena. The St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Constitution Order 2009 made Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha equal constituent parts of the territory. Each constituent part has its own government; however, the constitution order states that the Governor of Saint Helena is ex officio also the Governor of Ascension and the Governor of Tristan da Cunha.[1]
Under the St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Constitution Order 2009, an acting governor is appointed when the office of governor is vacant or the governor is unable to fulfill his or her duties long term. The acting governor is appointed by the King.
If the governor is off the island for a short time (including visits to Ascension or Tristan da Cunha) or is ill for a short period, the governor may appoint anyone on St Helena to be deputy. The deputy must follow any instructions issued by the governor. It is current practice to appoint an acting governor when the governor is away from the island of Saint Helena, even if visiting either Ascension Island or Tristan da Cunha.[2]
In recent years the chief secretary (or the attorney general) has taken on this temporary role in the governor's absence, the most recent times being in January 2011 when the governor travelled to Tristan da Cunha and the chief secretary became deputy governor[3] and then later in 2011 when Kenneth Baddon, the attorney general, became deputy governor.
The territory was governed by the East India Company from its initial colonization in 1659 to the end of company rule in 1834.
Following on from St Helena becoming a crown colony in 1834, the first governor was appointed in 1836.
