The royal governor of Chile ruled over the Spanish colonial administrative district called the Captaincy General of Chile, and as a result the royal governor also held the title of a captain general. There were 66 such governors or captains during the Spanish conquest and the later periods of Spanish-centered colonialism. Since the first Spanish–Mapuche parliaments in the 17th century it became an almost mandatory tradition for each governor to arrange a parliament with the Mapuches.[1]
| Picture | Name | Entered office | Exited office | Notes | Appointed by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agustín de Jáuregui y Aldecoa | March 1772 | July 1780 | Charles III | ||
| Tomás Álvarez de Acevedo Ordaz | July 1780 | December 1780 | Interim | ||
| Ambrosio de Benavides | December 1780 | April 1787 | |||
| Tomás Álvarez de Acevedo Ordaz | April 1787 | May 1788 | Interim | ||
(May 1788 – May 1796)
(18 September 1796 – 21 January 1799)
(January 1799 – April 1801)
(January 1802 – February 1808)
(April 1808 – July 1810)(Dissolved 1810-1814 Patria Vieja)
Period of the Reconquista Española: Governors and Captains General:
(26 December 1815 – 12 February 1817)