View source for Governor-General of Ceylon

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Short description|Representative of the monarch of Ceylon}}
{{EngvarB|date=January 2019}}{{Refimprove|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox official post
| post                    = Governor-General
| body                    = Ceylon
| native_name             = 
| insignia                = Coat_of_Arms_Ceylon_dominion.svg
| insigniasize            = 100px
| insigniacaption         = Emblem of the Dominion of Ceylon
| insigniaalt             = 
| flag                    = Flag of the Governor-General of Ceylon (1953-1972).svg
| flagsize                = 175px
| flagalt                 = 
| flagborder              = 
| flagcaption             = Flag of the governor-general <br>from 1953 to 1972
| image                   =
| imagesize               = 
| alt                     = 
| imagecaption            = '''Last in office'''<br>'''[[William Gopallawa]], <small>[[Order of the British Empire|MBE]]</small>'''<br>2 March 1962 – 22 May 1972
| incumbent               = 
| acting                  = 
| incumbentsince          = 
| department              = [[Viceroy#Commonwealth realms|Viceregal]]
| style                   = [[His Excellency]]
| type                    = 
| status                  = Abolished
| abbreviation            = 
| member_of               = 
| reports_to              = 
| residence               = [[President's House, Colombo|Queen's House, Colombo]]
| seat                    = 
| nominator               = 
| appointer               = [[Monarch of Ceylon]]
| appointer_qualified     = on the advice of the Prime Minister
| termlength              = [[At Her Majesty's pleasure]] 
| termlength_qualified    = 
| constituting_instrument = 
| formation               = 4 February 1948
| first                   = Sir [[Henry Monck-Mason Moore]]
| last                    = [[William Gopallawa]]
| abolished               = 22 May 1972
| superseded_by           = 
| succession              = 
| unofficial_names        = 
| deputy                  = 
| salary                  = 
| website                 = 
| footnotes               = 
}}

The '''governor-general of Ceylon''' was the representative of the [[Ceylonese monarch]] in the [[Dominion of Ceylon]] from the country's independence in 1948 until it became the [[republic]] of [[Sri Lanka]] in 1972.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ceylon Constitution Order in Council 1946|url=http://tamilnation.co/srilankalaws/46constitution.htm#PART%20V|publisher=Tamilnation|access-date=9 November 2012}}</ref>

==History==
There were four governors-general.

Sir [[Henry Monck-Mason Moore]] became the last [[Governors of British Ceylon|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 [[Herwald Ramsbotham, 1st Viscount 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 office was abolished as the monarch of Ceylon was replaced by the office of [[President of Sri Lanka]].

==Functions==
[[File:1964-05 1964年2月 宋庆龄副主席访问锡兰 与锡兰总督威廉·高伯拉瓦夫妇.jpg|thumb|Governor-General William Gopallawa meeting Vice Chairman Soong Ching Ling of Taiwan, 1964]]

The monarch, on the advice of the prime minister, appointed a governor-general to be his/her representative in Ceylon. Neither the monarch nor the governor-general had any direct role in the day-today 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. In the absence of the governor-general, the [[Chief Justice of Ceylon|chief justice of Ceylon]] became acting governor-general.

===Powers exercised on the advice of the prime minister===
The governor-general was required to assent all bills passed in parliament to become an Act, by convention all bills received assent. In addition, the constitution and other legislation granted the governor-general powers to be carried out on advice of the prime minister, these included;<ref name="Cooray">{{cite book |last1=Cooray |first1=L.J.M. |title=Constitutional Government in Sri Lanka |date=1984 |publisher=Lake House Printers and Publishers |location=Colombo |edition=First}}</ref>

* Appointment of public inquires
* Command of the armed forces
* Ability to declare a state of emergency under the Public Security Ordinance. 
* Summoning of parliament 
* Marking appointments;
** Members of the [[Senate of Ceylon]] 
** Six appointed members of the [[House of Representatives of Ceylon]]  
** Members of the [[Public Service Commission (Ceylon)]]
** Members of the [[Judicial Service Commission (Ceylon)]]
** Judges of the [[Supreme Court of Ceylon]]
** [[Cabinet of Sri Lanka|Ministers of Cabinet]]
** [[Parliamentary Secretary|Parliamentary Sectaries]]
** Secretary to the Cabinet 
** [[Permanent Secretary|Permanent Sectaries]]
** [[Auditor General of Ceylon]]
** [[Attorney General of Ceylon]]
** Commissioner of Elections

===Discretionary powers ===
The governor-general had the discretionary powers to appoint the prime minister, dissolve parliament and dismissal of a government that refuses to resign. The governor-general administers the oath of office of ministers and parliamentary secretaries. It is to the governor-general they would tender their resignations too.<ref name="Cooray"/> 

===Constitutional role===
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.<ref name="Cooray"/>

{{further|Monarchy of Ceylon (1948–1972)#Constitutional role}}

==Governor-general's staff==
The governor-general had a permanent staff that was based at the [[President's House, Colombo|Queen's House]] to assist in execution of his duties.

* [[Permanent Secretary|Secretary]] to the Governor-General
* [[Private Secretary]] to the Governor-General
* [[Aide-de-camp]] to the Governor-General
* [[Maha Mudaliyar]] (Head Mudaliyar)
* Office Assistant, Governor-General's office

The Governor-General several Extra Aides-de-camp to serve on a permanent or ad hoc basis. The Governor-General also maintained a ceremonial [[Lascarins|Lascarin Guard]].

==Vice-regal residences==

The official residence and workplace of the governor-general of Ceylon was [[Queen's House, Colombo|Queen's House]], in the city of [[Colombo]]. All governors-general lived there until 1972, when the monarchy was abolished, and the residence was thereafter renamed President's House.<ref>{{cite news|title=A Brief History of Sri Lanka's President's House|url=https://thediplomat.com/2022/07/a-brief-history-of-sri-lankas-presidents-house/|work=The Diplomat|date=23 July 2022}}</ref>

Other vice-regal residences included the [[President's Pavilion|King's Pavilion]], in [[Kandy]], used for rare state functions; and the [[Queen's Cottage]], the vacationing residence of governors-general in the town of [[Nuwara Eliya]].<ref>{{citation|page=50|title=Guide to Ceylon|year=1969|publisher=Lake House Investments|author=H. A. J. Hulugalle|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R8IcAAAAMAAJ}}</ref><ref>{{citation|page=13539|title=Keesing's Contemporary Archives: Volume 9|date=1952 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N2yJvL8J34wC |publisher=Keesing's Limited}}</ref>

== List of governors-general ==
{| class="wikitable"; style="text-align:center;" width="100%"
! rowspan="2" | No.
! rowspan="2" |Name
! colspan=2 | Term of office
! rowspan="2" |Monarch
|-
! Took office
! Left office
|-
|1
|[[Sir]] [[Henry Monck-Mason Moore]]
|{{small|4 February}}<br /> 1948
|{{small|6 July}}<br /> 1949
|rowspan= "2" | [[George VI]]<br /> {{reign|1948|1952}}
|-style="height:2ex"
|rowspan="2" |2
|rowspan="2" |[[Herwald Ramsbotham, 1st Viscount Soulbury]]
|rowspan="2" |{{small|6 July}}<br /> 1949
|rowspan="2" |{{small|17 July}}<br /> 1954
|-
|rowspan="4" |[[Elizabeth II]]<br /> {{reign|1952|1972}}
|-
|3
|[[Sir]] [[Oliver Ernest Goonetilleke]]
|{{small|17 July}}<br /> 1954
|{{small|2 March}}<br /> 1962
|-
|4
|[[William Gopallawa]], <small>[[Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire|MBE]]</small>
|{{small|2 March}}<br /> 1962
|{{small|22 May}}<br /> 1972
|}

==Flag of the governor-general==
{{gallery|mode=nolines|whitebg=y|height=100|align=center
|Flag of the Governor-General of Ceylon (1948-1953).svg|Flag used from 1948 to 1953
|Flag of the Governor-General of Ceylon (1953-1972).svg|Flag used from 1953 to 1972
}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Governor-General of Ceylon}}
{{Representatives of the monarch in Commonwealth realms and Dominions}}
{{British Ceylon period topics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Governor-General Of Ceylon}}
[[Category:Governors-general of Ceylon| ]]
[[Category:Lists of governors-general|Ceylon, List of Governors-General of]]
[[Category:Lists of office-holders in Sri Lanka|Governor General]]
[[Category:Monarchy in Ceylon]]