Governor of Malta | |
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Coat of Arms of the Governor of Malta
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Style | His Excellency |
Residence | Grandmaster's Palace in Valletta |
Appointer | King/Queen of the United Kingdom |
Precursor | Civil Commissioner of Malta |
Formation | 23 July 1813 |
First holder | Sir Thomas Maitland |
Final holder | Sir Maurice Henry Dorman |
Abolished | 21 September 1964 |
Succession | Governor-General of Malta |
The Governor of Malta (Maltese: Gvernatur ta' Malta) was an official who ruled Malta during the British colonial period between 1813 and 1964. This office replaced that of the Civil Commissioner. Upon the end of British rule and the creation of the State of Malta in 1964, this office was replaced by the Governor-General, who represented the British Monarch and not the Government of the United Kingdom as did the Governor. The office of Governor-General was itself abolished in 1974 and replaced by the post of President when Malta became a Republic.
The Governor, appointed by the British monarch (on the advice of the prime minister), maintained executive power in Malta throughout British rule. He was head of the executive council and the pre-independence government of Malta.
The Governor was the most powerful official in Malta.