Governor-General of South Africa

The governor-general of the Union of South Africa (Template:Langx; Template:LangxTemplate:Efn) was the highest state official in the Union of South Africa between 1910 and 1961. The Union of South Africa was founded as a self-governing Dominion of the British Empire in 1910 and the office of governor-general was established as the representative of the monarch of South Africa. Fifty-one years later, the country declared itself a republic and the office of governor-general was abolished.<ref>https://www.thepresidency.gov.za/history Template:Bare URL inline</ref>

Some of the first holders of the post were members of the British royal family including Prince Arthur of Connaught between 1920 and 1924, and Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone, who served between 1924 and 1931, before becoming the governor general of Canada. As in other Dominions, this would change, and from 1943 onward only South Africans (in fact, only Afrikaners) held the office.

The office was established by the South Africa Act 1909. Until the Balfour Declaration of 1926 the governor-general was the representative of the British government in South Africa and was appointed by the Colonial Office in London. After the declaration and the Statute of Westminster 1931 the governor-general was appointed by the monarch on the advice of the South African government. Although the governor-general was nominally the country's chief executive, in practice he was bound by convention to act on the advice of the prime minister and the cabinet of South Africa.

File:Tuynhuys (detail).jpg

Die Tuynhuys, then-seat of the Governor-General in Cape Town

List of governors-general

The following is a list of people who served as governor-general of South Africa from independence in 1910 to the establishment of a republic in 1961.

No.	Portrait	Name Template:Small	Term of office			Monarch
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1	File:Herbert John Gladstone.jpg	Herbert Gladstone, 1st Viscount Gladstone Template:Small	Template:Small 1910	Template:Small 1914	Template:Ayd	George V (Template:Small)
2	File:Sydney Buxton, 1st Earl Buxton.jpg	Sydney Buxton, 1st Earl Buxton Template:Small	Template:Small 1914	Template:Small 1920	Template:Ayd
3	File:Prince Arthur of Connaught Garter.jpg	Prince Arthur of Connaught Template:Small	Template:Small 1920	Template:Small 1924	Template:Ayd
4	File:Earlofathlone.jpg	Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone Template:Small	Template:Small 1924	Template:Small 1931	Template:Ayd
5	File:Earl Clarendon LCCN2014716484.jpg	George Villiers, 6th Earl of Clarendon Template:Small	Template:Small 1931	Template:Small 1937	Template:Ayd
						Edward VIII (Template:Small)
						George VI (Template:Small)
6	File:Patrick Duncan.jpg	Sir Patrick Duncan<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Small	Template:Small 1937	Template:Small 1943	Template:Ayd
7	File:Gideon Brand van Zyl.jpg	Gideon Brand van Zyl Template:Small	Template:Small 1946	Template:Small 1951	Template:Age in years years
8	File:EG Jansen 1949.jpg	Ernest George Jansen Template:Small	Template:Small 1951	Template:Small 1959	Template:Ayd
						Elizabeth II (Template:Small)
9	File:CR Swart 1960.jpg	Charles Robberts Swart Template:Small	Template:Small 1959	Template:Small 1961	Template:Ayd

Flag of the governor-general

• 1910–1931
  1910–1931
• 1931–1953
  1931–1953
• 1953–1961
  1953–1961

See also

• State President of South Africa
• President of South Africa
• Prime Minister of South Africa