Governor-General of the Bahamas

Governor-General of The Bahamas
Coat of arms of The Bahamas
Flag of the governor-general
Incumbent Dame Cynthia A. Pratt since 1 September 2022
Viceroy
Style	The Most Honourable
Residence	Government House, Nassau
Appointer	Monarch of The Bahamas on the advice of the prime minister
Term length	At His Majesty's pleasure
Constituting instrument	Constitution of The Bahamas
Formation	10 July 1973
First holder	Sir John Paul
Salary	37,000 BSD annually

Politics of The Bahamas
Executive Monarch Charles III Governor-General (list) Cynthia A. Pratt Prime Minister Philip Davis Cabinet
Legislature Senate President of the Senate House of Assembly Speaker Leader of the Opposition
Law Judicial Committee of the Privy Council Court of Appeal Supreme Court Magistrates' Court Law of The Bahamas
Local government Local Government Act 1996 Chief Councillors
Elections General 1962 1967 1968 1972 1977 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002 2007 2012 2017 2021 Political parties FNM PLP DNA
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs Minister: Darren Henfield Diplomatic missions of / in the Bahamas Passports Visa requirements Visa policy
Caribbean portal Other countries
v t e

The governor-general of The Bahamas is the representative of the Bahamian monarch, currently King Charles III, in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. The governor-general is appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister of The Bahamas. The functions of the governor-general include appointing ministers, judges, and ambassadors; giving royal assent to legislation passed by parliament; issuing writs for election.

In general, the governor-general observes the conventions of the Westminster system and responsible government, maintaining political neutrality, and has to always act only on the advice of the prime minister. The governor-general also has a ceremonial role: hosting events at the official residence—Government House in the capital, Nassau—and bestowing honours to individuals and groups who are contributing to The Bahamas and to their communities. When travelling abroad, the governor-general is seen as the representative of The Bahamas and its monarch. The governor-general is supported by a staff headed by the official secretary to the governor-general.

Governors-general formally serve "at the monarch's pleasure".^[1] Since 1 September 2022, the governor-general has been Dame Cynthia A. Pratt.

The office of the governor-general was created on 10 July 1973, when The Bahamas gained independence from the United Kingdom as a sovereign state and an independent constitutional monarchy. Since then, 12 individuals have served as governor-general.