Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey

Representative of the British monarch in Guernsey

Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey
Coat of arms of Guernsey
Flag of the lieutenant governor of Guernsey
Incumbent
Lieutenant General Richard Cripwell CB CBE
since 15 February 2022
StyleHis Excellency
AppointerMonarch of the United Kingdom
Term lengthAt His Majesty's Pleasure
Websitewww.governmenthouse.gg
Politics of Guernsey
The Crown
  • Duke of Normandy
    • King Charles III
  • Lieutenant Governor
    • Lieutenant General Richard Cripwell CB CBE
Legislature
  • Bailiff
    • Richard McMahon
Foreign policy
  • v
  • t
  • e

The lieutenant governor of Guernsey is the representative of the British monarch in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a Crown dependency of the British Crown. The role of the lieutenant governor is to act as the de facto head of state in Guernsey and as liaison between the governments of Guernsey and the United Kingdom. The holder of this office is also ex officio a member of the States of Guernsey but may not vote and, by convention, speaks in the Chamber only on appointment and on departure from post. The duties are primarily diplomatic and ceremonial. He has the authority to appointment two members of the board of governors of Elizabeth College and the Priaulx Library.[1]

The lieutenant governor has his own flag in Guernsey, the Union Flag defaced with the Bailiwick's coat of arms.

History

The Crown appointed Wardens or Keepers to represent its interests in the Channel Islands. After 1473 separate Wardens were appointed for Guernsey and Jersey, the title of Captain or Governor also being used. Around the early 17th century the title of Governor was settled upon, although those appointed to the position of Governor adopted the practice of appointing a lieutenant to carry out their duties in their absence. By the 19th century the post of Governor of Guernsey had become a sinecure and the position was abolished in 1835. Since then Lieutenant Governors have continued to be appointed.[1]

In 2010 it was announced that the next Lieutenant-Governor would be recommended to the Crown by a Guernsey panel consisting of the Bailiff of Guernsey, the Seigneur of Sark, and the President of the States of Alderney, sitting with a human resources professional.[2] This new system replaced the previous system of the appointment being made by the Crown on the recommendation of UK ministers.[3] The first person selected by this process was former RAF officer Air Marshal Peter Walker, who was sworn in on 15 April 2011.

A roll of honour of the Governors and Lieutenant Governors of Guernsey from 1198 to date has been installed at Government House.[4]

List of lieutenant governors of Guernsey

1689-1690: Colonel Sidney Godolphin [5]
1704-1708: Sir Edmund Andros

List of lieutenant governors of Guernsey 1770 to date
Title Appointed Name
Serving under Governor of Guernsey: 1770 Lt-Col. Paulus Aemilius Irving
  1784 Lt-Col. William Brown
  1793 Maj-Gen. Thomas Dundas
  1793 Col. James Henry Craig
  1793 Maj-Gen. John Small
  1796 Lt-Gen. Sir Hew Dalrymple
  1803 Maj-Gen. Sir John Doyle Bt GCB KC
  1816 Maj-Gen. Henry Bayly
  1821 Maj-Gen. Sir John Colborne KCB
  1828 Maj-Gen. John Ross
Lieutenant Governor and Colonel on Staff: 1837 Gen. Sir James Douglas KCB
  1842 Maj-Gen. Sir William Francis Patrick Napier KCB
  1848 Lt-Gen. Sir John Bell KCB
  1854 Lt-Gen. William Thomas Knollys
  1856 Lt-Gen. Sir George Judd Harding KCB
  1859 Maj-Gen. Marcus John Slade[6]
  1864 Maj-Gen. Charles Rochfort Scott
  1869 Lt-Gen. Edward Charles Frome
  1874 Lt-Gen. Hon. St George Gerald Foley CB
  1879 Maj-Gen. Alexander Abercromby Nelson CB
  1883 Maj-Gen. Henry Andrew Sarel CB
  1885 Lt-Gen. John Henry Ford Elkington CB
  1889 Gen. Sir Edward Gascoyne Bulwer KCB
Lieutenant Governor and Commanding the Troops: 1894 Lt-Gen. Nathaniel Stevenson
  1899 Maj-Gen. Michael Henry Saward
  1903 Maj-Gen. Barrington Bulkeley Douglas Campbell CVO CB
  1908 Maj-Gen. Robert Auld CB
  1911 Maj-Gen. Sir Edward Owen Fisher Hamilton KCB
  1914 Maj-Gen. Sir Henry Merrick Lawson KCB
  1914 Gen. Sir Reginald Clare Hart VC GCB KCVO
  1918 Lt-Gen. Sir Launcelot Edward Kiggell KCB KCMG
  1920 Maj-Gen. Sir John Edward Capper KCB KCVO
  1925 Maj-Gen. Sir Charles Sackville-West KBE CB CMG
  1929 Maj-Gen. Lord Ruthven of Freeland CB CMG DSO
  1934 Maj-Gen. Sir Edward Nicholson Broadbent KBE CB CMG DSO[7]
  1939 Maj-Gen. Alexander Telfer-Smollett CB CBE DSO MC
  1940 Maj-Gen. John Minshull-Ford CB DSO MC (7 to 20 June 1940)
  1940–45 German occupation of the Channel Islands – post vacated as part of demilitarisation of the island
Head of the British Military Government: 1945 Rear-Adm. Charles Gage Stuart DSO DSC
Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief: 1945 Lt-Gen. Sir Philip Neame VC KBE CB DSO
  1953 Air Marshal Sir Thomas Elmhirst KBE CB AFC
  1958 Vice-Adm. Sir Geoffrey Robson KBE CB DSO DSC
  1964 Lt-Gen. Sir Charles Coleman KCB CMG DSO OBE
  1969 Vice-Adm. Sir Charles Mills KCB CBE DSC
  1974 Vice-Adm. Sir John Edward Ludgate Martin KCB DSC
  1980 Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter de Lacey Le Cheminant GBE KCB DFC
  1985 Lt-Gen. Sir Alexander Boswell KCB CBE
  1990 Lt-Gen. Sir Michael Compton Lockwood Wilkins KCB OBE
  1994 Vice-Adm. Sir John Francis Coward KCB DSO
  2000 Lt-Gen. Sir John Paul Foley KCB OBE MC
  2005 Vice-Adm. Sir Fabian Malbon KBE
  2011–15 Air Marshal Peter Walker CB CBE
  2016 Vice-Adm. Sir Ian Corder KBE CB[8]
  2022 Lt-Gen. Richard Cripwell CB CBE[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Lieutenant Governors". Royal Court of Guernsey. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
  2. ^ "Sark and Alderney could choose the next Lt-Governor". Guernsey Press. 8 July 2010. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  3. ^ "Guernsey will choose its next Lt-Governor". Guernsey Press. 3 July 2010. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  4. ^ "800 years of history on new roll of honour". Guernsey Press. 1 April 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  5. ^ Cruickshanks 1970.
  6. ^ "No. 22245". The London Gazette. 1 April 1859. p. 1369.
  7. ^ "No. 34053". The London Gazette. 25 May 1934. p. 3353.
  8. ^ "New Lt-Governor is a career Navy man". Guernsey Press. 16 February 2016.
  9. ^ "Guernsey's Lieutenant-Governor: Richard Cripwell to be sworn in". BBC News. 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.

Sources

  • Cruickshanks, Eveline (1970). GODOLPHIN, Sidney (1652–1732), of Thames Ditton, Surr in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1715-1754 (Online ed.). Boydell & Brewer.
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