Governor of Hong Kong

Governor of Hong Kong
Last in office
Chris Patten
9 July 1992 – 30 June 1997
StyleHis Excellency
ResidenceGovernment House, Hong Kong
AppointerMonarch of the United Kingdom
Formation26 June 1843; 181 years ago (1843-06-26)
First holderSir Henry Pottinger
Final holderChris Patten
Abolished30 June 1997; 27 years ago (1997-06-30)
SalaryHK$3,036,000 annually (1997)
Governor of Hong Kong
Traditional Chinese香港總督
Simplified Chinese香港总督
Cantonese YaleHēunggóng Júngdūk
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinXiānggǎng Zǒngdū
Wade–GilesHsiang1-kang3 Tsung3-tu1
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationHēunggóng Júngdūk
JyutpingHoeng1gong2 Zung2duk1
Abbreviation
Chinese港督
Cantonese YaleGóngdūk
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinGǎngdū
Wade–GilesKang3-tu1
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationGóngdūk
JyutpingGong2duk1

The governor of Hong Kong was the representative of the British Crown in Hong Kong from 1843 to 1997. In this capacity, the governor was president of the Executive Council and commander-in-chief of the British Forces Overseas Hong Kong. The governor's roles were defined in the Hong Kong Letters Patent and Royal Instructions. Upon the end of British rule and the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997, most of the civil functions of this office went to the chief executive of Hong Kong, and military functions went to the commander of the People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison.