King's Representative
The King's Representative is the formal title given to the viceregal representative of Charles III, as King of New Zealand, in the Cook Islands.[2] The office of King's Representative is established by the Constitution of the Cook Islands. They are appointed by the King for a term of three years, and may be reappointed.[3] When New Zealand has a queen regnant, the viceroy is titled Queen's Representative.
| King's Representative in the Cook Islands | |
|---|---|
| Te Kauono o te Ariki (Cook Islands Māori)[1] | |
|  Coat of Arms of the Cook Islands | |
|  Flag of the King's Representative | |
| Viceroy | |
| Seat | Avarua | 
| Nominator | Prime Minister of the Cook Islands | 
| Appointer | Monarch of New Zealand on the advice of the Prime Minister | 
| Term length | 3 years renewable | 
| Precursor | High Commissioner of the Cook Islands | 
| Formation | 1982 | 
| First holder | Gaven Donne | 
|  | 
|---|
The King's Representative fills the role normally filled by a Governor-General in the Westminster system of a Commonwealth realm, being both a representative of the monarch and the titular head of executive government. They appoint the Prime Minister and Cabinet[4] and chair the Cook Islands Executive Council.[5] In performing their duties, they must act on advice.[6]
Originally these duties were performed by the High Commissioner of New Zealand to the Cook Islands, but in 1982 these powers were repatriated.[7] The Governor-General of New Zealand still represents the King in matters pertaining to the entire Realm.[8][9]
Following the death of Elizabeth II, the office formally became known as the "King's Representative".[10]
List of Sovereign's Representatives in the Cook Islands
    
| № | Portrait | Name | Term of Office | Monarch | Prime Minister | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Length of Office | |||||
| 1 |  | Sir Gaven Donne (1914–2010) | 1982 | 18 September 1984 | 2 years, 258 days | Elizabeth II | Sir Tom Davis | 
| Geoffrey Henry | |||||||
| Sir Tom Davis | |||||||
| 2 |  | Sir Graham Speight (1921–2008) Acting | 18 September 1984 | 19 December 1984 | 92 days | ||
| 3 |  | Sir Tangaroa Tangaroa (1921–2009) | 19 December 1984 | 19 December 1990 | 6 years, 1 day | ||
| Pupuke Robati | |||||||
| Sir Geoffrey Henry | |||||||
| 4 |  | Sir Apenera Pera Short (1916–2011) | 19 December 1990 | 14 November 2000 | 9 years, 327 days | ||
| Joe Williams | |||||||
| Sir Terepai Maoate | |||||||
| 5 |  | Laurence Greig (born 1929) Acting | 14 November 2000 | 9 February 2001 | 88 days | ||
| 6 | .jpg.webp) | Sir Frederick Tutu Goodwin | 9 February 2001 | 27 July 2013 | 12 years, 169 days | ||
| Robert Woonton | |||||||
| Jim Marurai | |||||||
| Henry Puna | |||||||
| 7 |  | Sir Tom Marsters (born 1945) | 27 July 2013 | Incumbent | 10 years, 75 days | ||
| Mark Brown | |||||||
| Charles III | |||||||
See also
    
    
References
    
- "Kauono". Dictionary of Cook Islands languages. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- "About Parliament". parliament.gov.ck. Parliament of the Cook Islands. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
- "Constitution of the Cook Islands". PACLII. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
- Constitution of the Cook Islands, section 13.
- Constitution of the Cook Islands, section 25.
- Constitution of the Cook Islands, section 5.
- "Constitution Amendment (No 10) Act 1981-82". PACLII. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
- "Government of the Cook Islands". Jarvy Web. 11 October 2014.
- Townend, Andrew (2003). "The strange death of the Realm of New Zealand: The implications of a New Zealand republic for the Cook Islands and Niue" (PDF). Victoria University of Wellington Law Review. 34 (3): 571–607. doi:10.26686/vuwlr.v34i3.5768. hdl:10063/5877. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
- "'QR' effectively becomes 'KR'". Cook Islands News. 10 September 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
