Governor of the Netherlands Antilles

The governor of the Netherlands Antilles was the representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Netherlands Antilles and the head of the government of the Netherlands Antilles.

Governor of the Netherlands Antilles
Longest serving
Jaime Saleh

16 January 1990 – 1 July 2002
ResidenceFort Amsterdam
AppointerDutch monarch
Formation1845
First holderTeun Struycken
Final holderFrits Goedgedrag
Abolished10 October 2010

Duties

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With the introduction of the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1954, the powers, obligations and responsibilities of the governor as an organ of the Kingdom of the Netherlands were regulated in the Regulations for the Governor; Article 15, paragraph 1 reads:

The Governor represents the Government of the Kingdom and guards the general interest of the Kingdom in accordance with the provisions and regulations and with due observance of changes to be indicated by or pursuant to Royal Decrees. He was accountable to the Government of the Kingdom.

The governor is therefore authorized, within the limits of these regulations and the instruction of the Crown, to act on behalf of the government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

According to the Constitution, the governor, as a representative of the monarch, was the head of the government of the Netherlands Antilles. As the head of the government, the governor was immune. The governor exercised executive power under the responsibility of the ministers, who are responsible to the Parliament of the Netherlands Antilles.

Dissolution

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On 10 October 2010 the Netherlands Antilles was dissolved. With the dissolution of the Antilles, Curaçao and Sint Maarten became constituent countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, while Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba became special municipalities of the Netherlands. Each constituent country within the kingdom has its own governor. Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba are represented by a gezaghebber.

List of governors of Curaçao and Dependencies (1845–1954)

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Before the introduction of the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1954, the Dutch Antilles was called Curaçao and Dependencies.

No. Image Name Term of Service[1]
1 Rutgers Hermanus Esser 1845–1848
2   Isaäc Johannes Rammelman Elsevier [nl] 1848–1854
3 Jacob Bennebroek Gravenhorst 1854–1856
4   Reinhart Frans van Lansberge [nl] 1856–1859
5 Johannes Didericus Crol [nl] 1859–1866
6 Abraham Matthieu de Rouville 1866–1870
7 Herman François Gerardus Wagner 1871–1877
8   Hendrik Bernardus Kip 1877–1880
9   Johannes Herbert August Willem van Heerdt tot Eversberg 1880–1882
10 Nicolaas van den Brandhof 1882–1890
11   Charles Augustine Henry Barge [nl] 1890–1901
  Theodorus Isaak Andreas Nuyens 1901
12   Jan Olphert de Jong van Beek en Donk [nl] 1901–1909
John Brown Gorsira 1909
13   Theodorus Isaak Andreas Nuyens 1909–1919
14   Oscar Louis Helfrich 1919–1921
John Brown Gorsira 1921
15   Nicolaas Johannes Laurentius Brantjes [nl] 1921–1928
Marius van Dijk 1928–1929
  Leonard Albert Fruytier [nl] 1929
16 Herman Bernard Cornelis Schotborgh 1929–1930
17   Bartholomaeus Wouther Theodorus van Slobbe [nl] 1930–1936
[ Frans Adriaan Jas 1936
18   Gielliam Johannes Josephus Wouters 1936–1942
19   Petrus Albertus Kasteel 1942–1948
Cornelius Süthoff 1948
20   Leonard Antoon Hubert Peters [nl] 1948–1951
21   Antoon Arnold Marie Struycken 1951–1954

List of governors of the Netherlands Antilles (1954–2010)

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Following the introduction of the charter, the governor position was officiated in the Constitution of the Netherlands Antilles

No. Image Name Term of Service
1   Antoon Arnold Marie Struycken 1954–1956
Frank van der Valk 1956–1957
2   Antonius Speekenbrink [nl] 1957–1961
Christiaan Winkel 1961–1962
Aldert van Bruggen [nl] 1962
3   Nicolaas Debrot 1962–1970
4   Bernadito M. Leito[2] 1970–1983
5 René Antonio Römer 1983–1990
6   Jaime Mercelino Saleh 1990–2002
7 Frits Martinus de los Santos Goedgedrag 2002–2010

Gubernatorial standards

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Benjamins, Herman Daniël; Snelleman, Johannes (1917). Encyclopaedie van Nederlandsch West-Indië (in Dutch). Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. pp. 328–329 – via Digital Library for Dutch Literature. Up to 1917
  2. ^ "The first Black Governor". Curacao History. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
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