Monarchy of Jamaica

King of Jamaica
Coat of arms of Jamaica
Incumbent
Charles III since 8 September 2022
Details
Style	His Majesty
Heir apparent	William, Prince of Wales
First monarch	Elizabeth II
Formation	6 August 1962

Politics of Jamaica
Executive Monarch Charles III Governor-General (list) Patrick Allen Prime Minister Andrew Holness Cabinet Ministries and agencies
Legislative Parliament Senate President House of Representatives Speaker Leader of the Opposition Peter Phillips
Elections General: 2007 2011 2016 by-elections Political parties
Judiciary Caribbean Court of Justice Court of Appeal Supreme Court Parish Court Petty Sessions
Administrative divisions Constituencies Electoral divisions Populated places
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister: Kamina Johnson-Smith Diplomatic missions of / in Jamaica Nationality law Passport Visa requirements Visa policy
Jamaica portal Other countries
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The monarchy of Jamaica (Jamaican Patois: Manaki a Jumieka) is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Jamaica. The current Jamaican monarch and head of state, since 8 September 2022, is King Charles III. As sovereign, he is the personal embodiment of the Jamaican Crown. Although the person of the sovereign is equally shared with 14 other independent countries within the Commonwealth of Nations, each country's monarchy is separate and legally distinct. As a result, the current monarch is officially titled King of Jamaica and, in this capacity, he and other members of the royal family undertake public and private functions domestically and abroad as representatives of the Jamaican state. However, the monarch is the only member of the royal family with any constitutional role.

All executive authority of Jamaica is vested in the monarch, and royal assent is required for the Jamaican Parliament to enact laws and for letters patent and Orders in Council to have legal effect. Most of the powers are exercised by the elected members of parliament, the ministers of the Crown generally drawn from amongst them, and the judges and justices of the peace. Other powers vested in the monarch, such as dismissal of a prime minister, are significant but are treated only as reserve powers and as an important security part of the role of the monarchy.

The Crown today primarily functions as a guarantor of continuous and stable governance and a nonpartisan safeguard against the abuse of power. While some powers are exercisable only by the sovereign, most of the monarch's operational and ceremonial duties are exercised by his representative, the governor-general of Jamaica. Over the years, the Crown of Jamaica has evolved to become a distinctly Jamaican institution, represented by its own unique symbols.

Since the 1970s, there has been debate in Jamaica on replacing the monarchy with a republic. The current prime minister, Andrew Holness, has expressed an intention for the government to hold a referendum on the subject by 2025.