Monarchy of the Bahamas

King of The Bahamas
Coat of arms of the Bahamas
Incumbent
Charles III since 8 September 2022
Details
Style	His Majesty
Heir apparent	William, Prince of Wales
First monarch	Elizabeth II
Formation	10 July 1973

Politics of The Bahamas
Executive Monarch Charles III Governor-General (list) Cynthia A. Pratt Prime Minister Philip Davis Cabinet
Legislature Senate President of the Senate House of Assembly Speaker Leader of the Opposition
Law Judicial Committee of the Privy Council Court of Appeal Supreme Court Magistrates' Court Law of The Bahamas
Local government Local Government Act 1996 Chief Councillors
Elections General 1962 1967 1968 1972 1977 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002 2007 2012 2017 2021 Political parties FNM PLP DNA
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs Minister: Darren Henfield Diplomatic missions of / in the Bahamas Passports Visa requirements Visa policy
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The monarchy of the Bahamas is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. The current Bahamian monarch and head of state, since 8 September 2022, is King Charles III. As sovereign, he is the personal embodiment of the Bahamian 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 the Bahamas and, in this capacity, he and other members of the royal family undertake public and private functions domestically and abroad as representatives of the Bahamian state. However, the King is the only member of the Royal Family with any constitutional role.

All executive authority is vested in the monarch, and royal assent is required for the Bahamian 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 the Bahamas.