Governor of the Cayman Islands

The governor of the Cayman Islands is the representative of the British monarch in the United Kingdom's overseas territory of the Cayman Islands. The governor, a civil servant who has in modern times typically been a British subject normally resident in the United Kingdom, is appointed by the monarch from the staff of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on the advice of the British government. The role of the governor is to act as the de facto head of state, and is responsible for appointing the Premier, who is the leader of the party with a majority of seats in the Legislature. The governorship has been held by Jane Owen since April 2023. The governor has her flag, the Union Flag defaced with the territory's coat of arms. The official residence of the governor is the Government House in Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman. History Until 1962, the Cayman Islands were administered as a dependency of Jamaica. When Jamaica gained independence, the Islands were split and became a separate Crown colony. An administrator was appointed to the Islands in 1959. After 1971, the British government appointed a governor. In 2013 Helen Kilpatrick became the Cayman Islands's first female governor. In 2023 Jane Owen became the second female governor.