From 1962 to 1976, the head of state under the Trinidad and Tobago Independence Act 1962 was the Queen of Trinidad and Tobago, Elizabeth II, who was also the Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms. The Queen was viceregally represented in Trinidad and Tobago by a governor-general. Trinidad and Tobago became a republic under the Constitution of 1976 and the monarch and governor-general were replaced by a ceremonial president.
The succession to the throne was the same as the succession to the British throne.
The governor-general was the representative of the monarch in Trinidad and Tobago 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 governor-general was appointed solely on the advice of the Cabinet of Trinidad and Tobago, without the involvement of the British government. In the event of a vacancy, the chief justice served as officer administering the government under a dormant commission.
| Portrait | Governor-General | Term of office | Prime minister | Monarch | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||
| 1 | Sir Solomon Hochoy | 1962 | 1972 | Williams | Elizabeth II | ||
| 2 | Sir Ellis Clarke | 1972 | 1976 | ||||
Under the 1976 Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the president replaced the monarch as head of state. The president was elected by Parliament for a five-year term. In the event of a vacancy, the President of the Senate served as acting president.
| Portrait | President | Elected | Term of office | Prime minister(s) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||||
| 1 | Sir Ellis Clarke | 1976 1982 | 1976 | 1976 | Williams Chambers Robinson | ||||
| 1976 | 1987 | ||||||||
| 2 | Noor Hassanali | 1987 1992 | 1987 | 1997 | Robinson Manning Panday | ||||
| 3 | A. N. R. Robinson | 1997 | 1997 | 2003 | Panday Manning | ||||
| 4 | George Maxwell Richards | 2003 2008 | 2003 | 2013 | Manning Persad-Bissessar | ||||
| 5 | Anthony Carmona | 2013 | 2013 | 2018 | Persad-Bissessar Rowley | ||||
| 6 | Paula-Mae Weekes | 2018 | 2018 | 2023 | Keith Rowley | Rowley | |||
| 7 | Christine Kangaloo | 2023 | 20 March 2023[1] | Incumbent | Keith Rowley | Rowley | |||