Lieutenant Governor of The Isle of Man | |
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Coat of Arms of The Isle of Man
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Viceroy | |
Style | His Excellency |
Residence | Government House, Isle of Man |
Appointer | British monarch |
Term length | At His/Her Majesty's pleasure |
Formation | 1773 |
First holder | Henry Hope |
Website | www.gov.im |
The Lieutenant Governor (Manx: Fo-chiannoort) is the representative on the Isle of Man of the Lord of Mann (currently Queen Elizabeth II). He/she has the power to grant royal assent and is styled His Excellency. In recent times the Governor has been either a retired diplomat or a senior military officer. No Manx-born person has ever been appointed Lieutenant Governor, although Manx-born First Deemsters (ex officio Deputy Governors) have taken on the role temporarily during the interregnum between Governors, and during periods when the Lieutenant Governor is off-Island.
The official residence of the Governor is Government House, Governor's Road, Onchan.
In the past, the Lieutenant Governor wielded judicial, fiscal and executive power on the Island, and around 1900 had more power than any other Governor in the British Empire. However, he lost his role as Head of the Judiciary in 1921, as Head of Government in 1961, as President of the Legislative Council in 1980 and finally as President of Tynwald in 1990. Today the role of Lieutenant Governor is essentially ceremonial, although certain powers under Isle of Man legislation do still fall to the Governor or Governor-in-Council (a decision on the advice, and with the approval of, the Council of Ministers).
In October 2005 Tynwald sought to change the title of the Lieutenant Governor to Crown Commissioner. This proposal was sent to the British Department of Constitutional Affairs for submission to the Lord of Mann Elizabeth II for approval. However, in April 2006, after much public disapproval, Tynwald rejected their own proposal and withdrew their request for Royal Assent. Thus the Lieutenant Governor has remained as previously titled.