King'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
Incumbent
Sir Tom Marsters
since 27 July 2013
Viceroy
SeatAvarua
NominatorPrime Minister of the Cook Islands
AppointerMonarch
on the advice of the prime minister
Term length3 years
renewable
PrecursorHigh Commissioner of the Cook Islands
Formation1982
First holderGaven Donne
Politics of the Cook Islands

The King's Representative is the official representative of Charles III, as King of the realm 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 the Cook Islands has a queen regnant, the viceroy is titled Queen's Representative.

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]

  1. ^ "Kauono". Dictionary of Cook Islands languages. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  2. ^ "About Parliament". parliament.gov.ck. Parliament of the Cook Islands. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  3. ^ "Constitution of the Cook Islands". PACLII. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  4. ^ Constitution of the Cook Islands, section 13.
  5. ^ Constitution of the Cook Islands, section 25.
  6. ^ Constitution of the Cook Islands, section 5.
  7. ^ "Constitution Amendment (No 10) Act 1981-82". PACLII. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  8. ^ "Government of the Cook Islands". Jarvy Web. 11 October 2014.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ "'QR' effectively becomes 'KR'". Cook Islands News. 10 September 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2022.