| Governor-General of Ceylon | |
|---|---|
| Former political post | |
| William Gopallawa, the last Governor-General | |
| Predecessor | |
| Successor | |
| First officeholder | Henry Monck-Mason Moore |
| Last officeholder | William Gopallawa |
| Style | Excellency |
| Official residence | Queen's House |
| Appointer | Queen Elizabeth II as Queen of Ceylon |
| Political office started | 4 February 1948 |
| Political office ended | 22 May 1972 |
The Governor-General of Ceylon was the representative of the Ceylonese monarch, and head of state, who held the title of Queen of Ceylon (as of 1952, Queen Elizabeth II) from 1948 when the country became independent as a Dominion until the country became the republic of Sri Lanka in 1972.
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The monarch, on the advice of the Prime Minister, appointed a Governor-General to be her representative in Ceylon. Neither the monarch nor the Governor-General had any real authority in conducting the administration of the country (however, both possessed reserve powers under the constitution which would allow them full control of the nation's governance whenever in their opinion a case of emergency requiring such action arises). Real legislative and executive responsibilities rested with the elected representatives of the people. During several periods when a state of emergency was declared the Governor-General used his reserved powers.
The Governor-General represented the Monarch on ceremonial occasions such as the opening of Parliament, the presentation of honours and military parades. Under the Constitution, he was given authority to act in some matters, for example in appointing and disciplining officers of the civil service, in proroguing Parliament and so on, but only in a few cases was he empowered to act entirely on his own discretion. When the Monarch was present in Ceylon on official visits, the post of Governor-General ceased to exist during the said period. On the absence of the Governor-General, the Chief Justice of Ceylon became acting Governor-General.
There were four Governor-Generals who represented two monarchs, George VI of the United Kingdom (1948-1952) Elizabeth II, Queen of Ceylon.
Sir Henry Monck-Mason Moore became the last Governor of Ceylon and first Governor-General when the Ceylon Order in Council, the first constitution of independent Ceylon came into effect. He was followed by Lord Soulbury, thereafter by Sir Oliver Goonetilleke the first Ceylonese to be appointed to the post. When William Gopallawa was appointed as Governor-General in 1962, he discarded the ceremonial uniform of office.
When Ceylon became a republic in 1972 the post replaced by the office of President of Sri Lanka.
The official residence and office of the Governor-General was the Queen's House (currently the President's House) in Colombo. Other Governor-General residences include:
| Portrait | Name | Entered office | Left office | Sovereign |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sir Henry Monck-Mason Moore, GCMG, KStJ (1887–1964) |
4 February 1948 | 6 July 1949 | George VI | |
| Herwald Ramsbotham, 1st Viscount Soulbury, GCMG, GCVO, OBE, MC, PC (1887–1971) |
6 July 1949 | 17 July 1954 | George VI Elizabeth II |
|
| Acting Justice C. Nagalingam, KC (1893–1958) |
1954 | 1954 | Elizabeth II | |
| Herwald Ramsbotham, 1st Viscount Soulbury, GCMG, GCVO, OBE, MC, PC (1887–1971) |
1954 | 17 July 1954 | Elizabeth II | |
| Sir Oliver Ernest Goonetilleke, GCMG, KCVO, KBE (1892–1978) |
17 July 1954 | 2 March 1962 | Elizabeth II | |
| William Gopallawa, MBE (1897–1981) |
2 March 1962 | 22 May 1972 | Elizabeth II |
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