Government House is the
official residence
An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless of whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority (either their own or that of th ...
of the
governor of Montserrat
The governor of Montserrat is the representative of the British monarch in the United Kingdom's overseas territory of Montserrat. The governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government. The main role of the governor ...
, located in
Woodlands, the northern safe zone of the island of
Montserrat
Montserrat ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is part of the Leeward Islands, the northern portion of the Lesser Antilles chain of the West Indies. Montserrat is about long and wide, wit ...
. The property was constructed after the evacuation of the previous residence in
Plymouth
Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...
due to the 1995 eruption of the
Soufrière Hills
The Soufrière Hills () is an active, complex stratovolcano with many lava domes forming its summit on the Caribbean island of Montserrat. After a long period of dormancy, the Soufrière Hills volcano became active in 1995 and continued to e ...
volcano.
History
The original Government House, located in
Plymouth
Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...
, the island’s former colonial capital, had been built by the colonial government in the early 20th century. It was abandoned when
Plymouth
Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...
was evacuated in 1995, due to devastating activity from the
Soufrière Hills
The Soufrière Hills () is an active, complex stratovolcano with many lava domes forming its summit on the Caribbean island of Montserrat. After a long period of dormancy, the Soufrière Hills volcano became active in 1995 and continued to e ...
volcano
A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
On Earth, volcanoes are most oft ...
. The original Government House building is still standing, although it is in a state of considerable disrepair.
Following the crisis, a new, modern Government House was constructed in Woodlands alongside the resettlement of administrative buildings to Brades and Little Bay. The current Government House is a modern construction situated in extensive gardens.
As well as being the residence of the Governor of Montserrat, Government House is used for national and ceremonial functions, as well as receptions and meetings with foreign dignitaries and heads of state. It is also the official residence of the
head of state
A head of state is the public persona of a sovereign state.#Foakes, Foakes, pp. 110–11 "he head of state
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads
* He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English
* He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana)
* Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter cal ...
being an embodiment of the State itself or representative of its international persona." The name given to the office of head of sta ...
of Montserrat (currently
King Charles III
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms.
Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...
) when staying in Montserrat.
In 2019, it emerged that the new Government house was having structural problems, and until those were resolved, no functions were able to be held at the property.
See also
*
Government House
Government House is the name of many of the official residences of governors-general, governors and lieutenant-governors in the Commonwealth and British Overseas Territories. The name is also used in some other countries.
Government Houses in th ...
– elsewhere in the
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...
or
British Overseas Territories
The British Overseas Territories (BOTs) or alternatively referred to as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs) are the fourteen dependent territory, territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom that, ...
*
Government Houses of the British Empire and Commonwealth
A Government House is any residence used by governors-general, governors and lieutenant-governors in the Commonwealth and the British Empire. Government Houses serve as the venue for governors' official business, as well as the many receptions ...
References
External links
Information on Government House from the Governor of Montserrat's office
{{coord , 16.759, N, 62.225, W, region:XA, display=title
Official residences
Government Houses of the British Empire and Commonwealth
Government buildings in Montserrat