# Governor of Gibraltar

The governor of Gibraltar is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government. The role of the governor is to act as the de facto head of state. They are responsible for formally appointing the chief minister of Gibraltar, along with other members of the government of Gibraltar after a general election. The governor serves as commander-in-chief of Gibraltar's military forces and has sole responsibility for defence and security. Although recent appointments have all been former military personnel, most being former Royal Navy or Royal Marines flag officers, Sir James Dutton resigned from the role in 2015, complaining that it was "more representational and ceremonial than I had expected".
The governor has his own flag in Gibraltar, the Union Flag defaced with the territory's coat of arms. However, at the governor's official residence (The Convent), the Union Flag and the flag of Gibraltar are also flown.

## List of governors of Gibraltar

(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)
| Term | Incumbent | Notes |
| 4 August 1704 | Habsburg occupation | Habsburg occupation |
| 4 August 1704 to 6 August 1704 | Prince George of Hesse-Darmstadt | Appointed by Archduke Charles |
| 6 August 1704 to November 1704 | Henry Nugent | Appointed by Archduke Charles |
| 24 December 1704 to 24 December 1707 | John Shrimpton, Governor | Appointed by Archduke Charles |
| 24 December 1707 to 24 January 1711 | Roger Elliott, Governor | |
| 24 January 1711 to 13 July 1713 | Thomas Stanwix, Governor | |
| 13 July 1713 | Spain cedes Gibraltar to Great Britain in the Treaty of Utrecht | Spain cedes Gibraltar to Great Britain in the Treaty of Utrecht |
| 13 July 1713 to 7 August 1713 | Brigadier-General Thomas Stanwix, Governor | |
| 7 August 1713 to 20 October 1720 | General The Earl of Portmore, Governor | |
| 20 October 1720 to 2 February 1727 | Richard Kane, Governor | |
| 2 February 1727 to 13 May 1730 | Jasper Clayton, Governor | |
| 15 May 1730 to 24 October 1739 | General Joseph Sabine, Governor | |
| 24 October 1739 to 22 April 1740 | Francis Columbine, Governor | |
| 22 April 1740 to 14 March 1748/9 | William Hargrave, Governor | |
| 14 March 1748/9 to 31 May 1754 | Humphrey Bland, Governor | |
| 31 May 1754 to 12 July 1756 | Thomas Fowke, Governor | |
| 12 July 1756 to 16 April 1757 | Lieutenant-General The Lord Tyrawley, Governor | Later promoted to field marshal. |
| 16 April 1757 to 28 April 1761 | The Earl of Home, Governor | |
| 28 April 1761 to 23 June 1761 | John Toovey, acting Governor | |
| 13 June 1761 to 14 June 1761 | Major-General John Parslow, acting Governor | |
| 14 June 1761 to January 1776 | Edward Cornwallis, Governor | |
| 1765 to 1767 | John Irwin, acting Governor | |
| January 1776 to 25 May 1777 | Robert Boyd, acting Governor | 1st Term |
| 25 May 1777 to 14 June 1787 | George Augustus Eliott, Governor | Great Siege of Gibraltar(24 June 1779-7 February 1783) |
| 14 June 1787 to July 1790 | The Lord Heathfield, Governor | |
| July 1790 to October 1790 | Sir Robert Boyd, acting Governor | |
| October 1790 to 13 May 1794 | Sir Robert Boyd, Governor | 2nd Term |
| 1794–1795 | Henry Clinton, Governor | Died in London before taking up the post |
| 13 May 1794 to 30 December 1795 | Charles Rainsford, Governor | Robert Boyd's second-in-command and assumed position on his death |
| 30 December 1795 to 25 February 1802 | Charles O'Hara, Governor | |
| 25 February 1802 to 10 May 1802 | Charles Barnett, Governor | |
| 24 May 1802 to 23 January 1820 | The Duke of Kent | |
| 2 May 1803 to 17 December 1804 | Sir Thomas Trigge, acting Governor | For the Duke of Kent |
| 17 December 1804 to June 1806 | Henry Edward Fox, acting Governor | For the Duke of Kent |
| June 1806 to November 1806 | James Drummond, acting Governor | 1st Term; for the Duke of Kent |
| November 1806 to August 1808 | Sir Hew Dalrymple, acting Governor | For the Duke of Kent |
| August 1808 to May 1809 | James Drummond, acting Governor | 2nd Term; for the Duke of Kent |
| May 1809 to August 1809 | Sir John Cradock, acting Governor | For the Duke of Kent |
| August 1809 to October 1809 | Brigadier-General John Smith, acting Governor | For the Duke of Kent Sir John Smith from 1831, later promoted to full general |
| October 1809 to November 1809 | Alex McKenzie Fraser, acting Governor | For the Duke of Kent |
| November 1809 to 2 April 1814 | Colin Campbell, acting Governor | For the Duke of Kent |
| 3 April 1814 to 15 November 1821 | Sir George Don, acting Governor | 1st Term; for the Duke of Kent |
| 29 January 1820 to 1835 | The Earl of Chatham, Governor | |
| 7 June 1825 to 20 June 1830 | Sir George Don, acting Governor | 2nd Term; for the Earl of Chatham |
| 20 June 1830 | Gibraltar becomes a British Crown colony | Gibraltar becomes a British Crown colony |
| 20 June 1830 to 10 May 1831 | Sir George Don, acting Governor | 2nd Term; for the Earl of Chatham |
| 10 May 1831 to 29 May 1835 | Sir William Houston, acting Governor | For the Earl of Chatham |
| 28 February 1835 to 11 October 1842 | Sir Alexander Woodford, Governor | |
| 11 October 1842 to 12 December 1848 | Sir Robert Wilson, Governor | |
| 12 December 1848 to 26 July 1855 | Sir Robert Gardiner, Governor | |
| 26 July 1855 to 5 May 1859 | Sir James Fergusson, Governor | |
| 5 May 1859 to 21 September 1865 | Sir William Codrington, Governor | |
| 21 September 1865 to 25 July 1870 | Sir Richard Airey, Governor | |
| 25 July 1870 to 23 June 1876 | Sir William Williams, Governor | |
| 23 June 1876 to 3 January 1883 | The Lord Napier of Magdala, Governor | |
| 3 January 1883 to 2 November 1886 | Sir John Miller Adye, Governor | |
| 2 November 1886 to 23 August 1890 | Sir Arthur Hardinge, Governor | |
| 23 August 1890 to 27 January 1891 | Sir Leicester Smyth, Governor | |
| 27 January 1891 to 31 March 1891 | Sir Henry Richard Legge Newdigate, acting Governor | |
| 31 March 1891 to 27 June 1893 | Sir Lothian Nicholson, Governor | |
| 27 June 1893 to 7 August 1893 | G.J. Smart, acting Governor | |
| 7 August 1893 to 22 May 1900 | Sir Robert Biddulph, Governor | |
| 22 May 1900 to 1 August 1905 | Sir George Stuart White, Governor | |
| 1 August 1905 to 30 July 1910 | Sir Frederick Forestier-Walker, Governor | |
| 30 July 1910 to 11 July 1913 | Sir Archibald Hunter, Governor | |
| 11 July 1913 to 9 July 1918 | Sir Herbert Miles, Governor | |
| 9 July 1918 to 26 May 1923 | Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien, Governor | |
| 26 May 1923 to 13 August 1928 | Sir Charles Monro, Governor | |
| 13 August 1928 to 13 May 1933 | Sir Alexander Godley, Governor | |
| 13 May 1933 to 12 August 1938 | Sir Charles Harington, Governor | |
| 12 August 1938 to 11 July 1939 | Sir Edmund Ironside, Governor | |
| 11 July 1939 to 14 May 1941 | Sir Clive Gerard Liddell, Governor | |
| 14 May 1941 to 31 May 1942 | The Viscount Gort, Governor | |
| 31 May 1942 to 14 February 1944 | Sir Noel Mason-Macfarlane, Governor | |
| 14 February 1944 to 8 February 1947 | Sir Ralph Eastwood, Governor | |
| 8 February 1947 to 23 April 1952 | Sir Kenneth Anderson, Governor | |
| 23 April 1952 to 6 May 1955 | Sir Gordon MacMillan, Governor | |
| 6 May 1955 to 16 April 1958 | Sir Harold Redman, Governor | |
| 16 April 1958 to 8 June 1962 | Sir Charles Keightley, Governor | |
| 8 June 1962 to 5 August 1965 | Sir Alfred Ward, Governor | |
| 5 August 1965 to March 1969 | Sir Gerald Lathbury, Governor | |
| March 1969 to 3 October 1973 | Admiral of the Fleet Sir Varyl Begg, Governor | |
| 3 October 1973 to 30 May 1978 | Marshal of the RAF Sir John Grandy, Governor | |
| 30 May 1978 to 1981 | General Sir William Jackson, Governor | |
| 1981 | Gibraltar becomes a British dependent territory | Under the British Nationality Act 1981 |
| 1981 to 26 October 1982 | General Sir William Jackson, Governor | |
| 26 October 1982 to 19 November 1985 | Admiral Sir David Williams, Governor | |
| 19 November 1985 to December 1989 | Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter Terry, Governor | |
| December 1989 to April 1993 | Sir Derek Reffell, Governor | |
| April 1993 to 5 December 1995 | Sir John Chapple, Governor | |
| 5 December 1995 to 19 February 1997 | Admiral Sir Hugo White, Governor | |
| 24 February 1997 to 21 March 2000 | Sir Richard Luce, Governor | |
| 21 March 2000 to 5 April 2000 | Paul Speller, acting Governor | |
| 5 April 2000 to 2002 | David Durie, Governor | |
| 2002 | Gibraltar becomes a British overseas territory | Under the British Overseas Territories Act 2002 |
| 2002 to 16 May 2003 | David Durie, Governor | Sir David Durie from 1 January 2003 |
| 16 May 2003 to 27 May 2003 | David Blunt, acting Governor | |
| 27 May 2003 to 17 July 2006 | Sir Francis Richards, Governor | |
| 17 July 2006 to 27 September 2006 | Philip Barton, acting Governor | |
| 27 September 2006 to 21 October 2009 | Lieutenant-General Sir Robert Fulton, Governor | |
| 21 October 2009 to 26 October 2009 | Lesley Pallett, acting Governor | |
| 26 October 2009 to 13 November 2013 | Vice Admiral Sir Adrian Johns, Governor | |
| 13 November 2013 to 6 December 2013 | Alison MacMillan, acting Governor | |
| 6 December 2013 to 28 September 2015 | Lieutenant General Sir James Dutton, Governor | |
| 28 September 2015 to 19 January 2016 | Alison MacMillan, acting Governor | |
| 19 January 2016 to 18 February 2020 | Lieutenant General Ed Davis, Governor | |
| 18 February 2020 to 11 June 2020 | Nick Pyle OBE, acting Governor | |
| 11 June 2020 to 23 May 2024 | Vice Admiral Sir David Steel, Governor | |
| 23 May 2024 to 4 June 2024 | Marc Holland, acting Governor | |
| 4 June 2024 to present | Lieutenant General Sir Ben Bathurst, Governor | |