The Governor of Ascension is the representative of the

monarch A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority ...

Ascension Island Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island, 7°56′ south of the Equator in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is about from the coast of Africa and from the coast of South America. It is governed as part of the British Overseas Territory of ...

, a constituent part of the

British Overseas Territory The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remnants of the former Br ...

Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha is a British Overseas Territory located in the South Atlantic and consisting of the island of Saint Helena, Ascension Island and the archipelago of Tristan da Cunha including Gough Island. Its name wa ...

. He is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the

British government ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_est ...

, his role is to act as the ''

de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with '' de jure'' ("by l ...

head of state A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and ...

. Prior to 2009, Ascension Island was a dependency of Saint Helena and therefore directly represented by the

Governor of Saint Helena The Governor of Saint Helena is the representative of the British monarch in the United Kingdom's overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. The Governor is appointed by the monarch on the official advice of His Majesty ...

. The ''St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Constitution Order 2009'' made Saint Helena,

, and

Tristan da Cunha Tristan da Cunha (), colloquially Tristan, is a remote group of volcanic islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world, lying approximately from Cape Town in South Africa, from Saint Helena a ...

, equal constituent parts of the territory with their own governments and established the position of Governor of Ascension.

Governors from 2009 to present

But per section 143 of the Constitution Order, the persons appointed as

are ''ex officio'', and in the same time but successively, Governor of Ascension. Here is a list of the most recent holders of this function : * from 2009, Andrew Gurr (born in 1944) ; * in 2011 : Mark Andrew Capes (born in 1954) ; * 2016 : Lisa Honan ; * 2019 : Dr.

Philip Rushbrook Philip Edward Rushbrook is a British diplomat who served as Governor of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha from 2019 to 2022. He was inaugurated on 11 May 2019 and became the 66th Governor of Saint Helena and the 69th of Saint Helena ...

; * since 2022 : Nigel Phillips (born in 1963, ''cf. photo'').

Administrators, from 1964 to present

However, as Ascension Island is away from Saint Helena, an administrator is appointed to act as the Governor's representative on the island specifically. This arrangement predates the current constitutional structure and the first administrator was appointed in 1942. Here is a list of them since 1964, if not 1942, formally referred to as "His / Her Honour".

Governors from 2009 to present

Administrators, from 1964 to present

Resident-magistrates, from 1922 to 1964

Commandants, 1815–1922

References

External links