| Queen ofKenya | |
|---|---|
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| Details | |
| Style | Her Majesty |
| Formation | 12 December 1963 |
| Abolition | 12 December 1964 |
Elizabeth II wasQueen of Kenya from 1963 to 1964, whenKenya was an independentsovereign state with aconstitutional monarchy. She was also the sovereign of the otherCommonwealth realms, including theUnited Kingdom. Her roles as the Kenyan head of state were delegated to thegovernor-general of Kenya.
The Kenya Independence Act 1963 transformed theColony and Protectorate of Kenya into an independentsovereign state, with Queen Elizabeth II as the head of state and Queen of Kenya.Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, represented the Queen of Kenya at the independence celebrations.[1] The Duke opened the first session of the Kenyan Parliament, on behalf of the Queen, by delivering the speech from the throne on 13 December 1963.[2]
The Queen's constitutional roles were mostly delegated to the Governor-General of Kenya, her representative in Kenya, who was appointed by the Queen on the advice of her Kenyan Prime Minister.[3][4]Malcolm MacDonald was governor-general throughout. All bills required Royal assent.[5] All executive powers of Kenya were vested in the monarch, but were mostly exercised by the governor-general on her behalf.[6][7]
Kenya adopteda new constitution in 1964 which abolished the monarchy and the office of governor-general, and became arepublic within the Commonwealth with thepresident of Kenya as head of state.[8]
Elizabeth was in Kenya atTreetops Hotel when her father,George VI, died on 6 February 1952 and she became queen. She had arrived inNairobi on 1 February and had been staying atSagana Lodge, nearMount Kenya. After the news of her accession, she returned immediately to the United Kingdom viaEntebbe Airport.[9] TheMombasa tusks, which compose a monument onMoi Avenue inMombasa, were initially built to commemorate the Queen's 1952 visit.[10]
After Kenya became a republic, the Queen stopped briefly in the country on 26 March 1972 and 7 October 1991.[11] She undertook astate visit to Kenya 10–14 November 1983, as the guest of PresidentDaniel Arap Moi.[12]
Elizabeth II had the following style and titles in her role as the monarch of Kenya:
