Queen of the Gambia

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Queen of The Gambia

Elizabeth II was Queen of The Gambia from 1965 to 1970, when The Gambia was an independent country with a constitutional monarchy in the Commonwealth. She was also the monarch of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms. In The Gambia, most royal duties were carried out by the Governor-General, the Queen’s representative, who acted on the advice of Gambian ministers.

The Gambia became independent in 1965 under the Gambia Independence Act 1964, transforming from a colony into a sovereign state with Elizabeth II as head of state. At independence, the Duke of Kent represented the Queen and opened the first Gambian Parliament on 18 February 1965. The two Governors-General were Sir John Paul (1965–1966) and Sir Farimang Mamadi Singateh (1966–1970).

The Gambian constitution protected the monarchy with entrenched provisions, meaning it could only be changed by a two-thirds vote in Parliament and a two-thirds referendum. After two referendums on the monarchy, the second one passed, and a new constitution abolished the monarchy on 24 April 1970. The Gambia then became a republic within the Commonwealth, with a president as head of state.

During a 1961 visit to The Gambia (before independence), villagers gave the Queen a two-year-old crocodile in a pierced silver box as a gift for Prince Andrew; her Private Secretary kept it in his bath for the rest of the trip.