List of heads of state of the Bahamas explained

This is a list of the heads of state of The Bahamas, from the independence of The Bahamas in 1973 to the present day.

From 1973 the head of state under the Bahamas Independence Act 1973 is the Monarch of The Bahamas, currently King Charles III, who is also the Monarch of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms. The King is represented in The Bahamas by a Governor-General.

Monarch (1973–present)

The succession to the throne is the same as the succession to the British throne.

Monarch
PortraitReignRoyal HousePrime Minister
Reign startReign endDuration
1Queen Elizabeth
1973 2022WindsorPindling
Ingraham
Christie
Ingraham
Christie
Minnis
Davis
2King Charles
2022WindsorDavis

Governor-General

The Governor-General is the representative of the Monarch in the Bahamas and exercises most of the powers of the Monarch. The Governor-General is appointed for an indefinite term, serving at the pleasure of the Monarch. After the passage of the Statute of Westminster 1931, the Governor-General is appointed solely on the advice of the Cabinet of the Bahamas without the involvement of the British government. In the event of a vacancy the Chief Justice served as Officer Administering the Government.

Symbols

Died in office.

PortraitName
(Birth–Death)
Term of officeMonarch
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
1Sir John Paul
10 July
1973
31 July
1973
Elizabeth II
2Sir Milo Butler
1 August
1973
22 January
1979
Elizabeth II
Doris Sands Johnson

22 January
1979
22 January
1979
Elizabeth II
Sir Gerald Cash

22 January
1979
23 September
1979
Elizabeth II
3Sir Gerald Cash
23 September
1979
25 June
1988
Elizabeth II
Sir Henry Milton Taylor

26 June
1988
28 February
1991
Elizabeth II
4Sir Henry Milton Taylor
28 February
1991
1 January
1992
Elizabeth II
5Sir Clifford Darling
2 January
1992
2 January
1995
Elizabeth II
6Sir Orville Turnquest
3 January
1995
13 November
2001
Elizabeth II
Dame Ivy Dumont

13 November
2001
1 January
2002
Elizabeth II
7Dame Ivy Dumont
1 January
2002
30 November
2005
Elizabeth II
Paul Adderley

1 December
2005
1 February
2006
Elizabeth II
8Arthur Dion Hanna
1 February
2006
14 April
2010
Elizabeth II
9Sir Arthur Foulkes
14 April
2010
8 July
2014
Elizabeth II
10Dame Marguerite Pindling
8 July
2014
28 June
2019
Elizabeth II
11Sir Cornelius A. Smith
28 June
2019
IncumbentElizabeth II
Charles III

External links