List of heads of state of Fiji

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This article lists the heads of state of Fiji, from the establishment of the Kingdom of Fiji in 1871 to the present day.

Tui Viti (King of Fiji) (1871–1874)[]

• Seru Epenisa Cakobau (5 June 1871 – 10 October 1874) (ceded Fiji to the United Kingdom)

Note that Cakobau had been the Vunivalu (Warlord/Paramount Chief) of Bau since 1852. He had long styled himself the Tui Viti (King of Fiji), but had not been recognized as such by other chiefs, and he exercised no direct authority outside his domain of Bau until he united the country under his leadership in 1871. His ancestors, going back as far as 1770, have often – erroneously – been listed as "Kings" of Fiji.

British and later Commonwealth Monarch (1874–1987)[]

From 1874 to 1970, the British Monarch was Fiji's formal head of state. In 1970, Fiji became an independent Dominion, in the Commonwealth, whereas Queen Elizabeth II, took on the roll of Queen of Fiji.

• Victoria (10 October 1874 – 22 January 1901)
• Edward VII (22 January 1901 – 6 May 1910)
• George V (6 May 1910 – 20 January 1936)
• Edward VIII (20 January 1936 – 11 December 1936)
• George VI (11 December 1936 – 6 February 1952)
• Elizabeth II (6 February 1952 – 10 October 1970)
• Elizabeth II held the title of Queen of Fiji (10 October 1970 – 6 October 1987)†

†Ousted following military coup and proclamation of Republic.

Colonial governors (1874–1970)[]

Fiji was a British Crown Colony from 1874 to 1970. Although the British Monarch was the head of state, in practice his or her functions were exercised in Fiji by the colonial governor, who acted on instructions from the British government in London .

List of governors of Fiji (1874–1970)[]

Governor of Fiji
No.	Name (Birth–Death)	Portrait	Tenure		Monarch
			Took office	Left office
Colony of Fiji
1.	Sir Hercules Robinson (1824–1897)		10 October 1874	June 1875	Victoria
2.	Sir Arthur Hamilton-Gordon (1829–1912)		19 August 1875	1880
3.	Sir William Des Vœux (1834–1909)		20 December 1880	21 January 1885
–	John Bates Thurston (1836–1897) Acting Governor		21 January 1885	1 January 1887
4.	Sir Charles Mitchell (1836–1899)		1 January 1887	February 1888
5.	Sir John Bates Thurston (1836–1897)		February 1888	7 February 1897
6.	Sir George T. M. O'Brien (1844–1906)		March 1897	1901
–	Sir William Allardyce (1861–1930) Acting Governor		1901	10 September 1902	Edward VII
7.	Sir Henry Jackson (1849–1908)		10 September 1902	11 October 1904
8.	Sir Everard im Thurn (1852–1932)		11 October 1904	1910
–	Sir Charles Major (1860–1933) Acting Governor		1910	21 February 1911
					George V
9.	Sir Francis May (1860–1922)		21 February 1911	25 July 1912
10.	Sir Ernest Sweet-Escott (1857–1941)		25 July 1912	10 October 1918
–	Sir Eyre Hutson (1864–1936) Acting for Sweet-Escott		1915	1916
11.	Sir Cecil Hunter-Rodwell (1874–1953)		10 October 1918	25 April 1925
–	Sir Eyre Hutson (1864–1936) Acting for Hunter-Rodwell		1919	1919
12.	Sir Eyre Hutson (1864–1936)		25 April 1925	22 November 1929
13.	Sir Murchison Fletcher (1878–1954)		22 November 1929	May 1936
					Edward VIII
–	Sir Cecil Barton (1891–1980) Acting Governor		May 1936	November 1936
14.	Sir Arthur Richards (1885–1978)		28 November 1936	August 1938
					George VI
–	Sir Cecil Barton (1891–1980) Acting Governor		August 1938	September 1938
15.	Sir Harry Luke (1884–1969)		16 September 1938	21 July 1942
16.	Sir Philip Mitchell (1890–1964)		21 July 1942	12 January 1944
–	Sir John Rankine (1907–1987) Acting Governor		12 January 1944	4 May 1944
–	Sir John Nicoll (1899–1981) Acting Governor		4 May 1944	23 October 1944
–	Sir John Rankine (1907–1987) Acting Governor		23 October 1944	1 January 1945
17.	Sir Alexander Grantham (1899–1978)		1 January 1945	21 March 1947
–	Sir John Nicoll (1899–1981) Acting Governor		21 March 1947	8 October 1947
18.	Sir Brian Freeston (1892–1958)		8 October 1947	6 October 1952
					Elizabeth II
19.	Sir Ronald Garvey (1903–1991)		6 October 1952	28 October 1958
20.	Sir Kenneth Maddocks (1907–2001)		28 October 1958	6 January 1964
21.	Sir Derek Jakeway (1915–1993)		6 January 1964	December 1968
22.	Sir Robert Sidney Foster (1913–2005)		December 1968	10 October 1970

In 1970, Fiji gained independence from the United Kingdom. After independence, the Viceroy in Fiji was the Governor-General of Fiji.

Governors-General (1970–1987)[]

Fiji became an independent Dominion within the Commonwealth on October 10 1970. The office of governor was renamed governor-general; the only change of function was that the governor-general acted on the advice of the Fijian, rather than the British, government.

List of governors-general of Fiji (1970–1987)[]

Governor-General of Fiji
No.	Name (Birth–Death)	Portrait	Tenure		Monarch
			Took office	Left office
Dominion of Fiji
1.	Sir Robert Sidney Foster (1913–2005)		10 October 1970	13 January 1973	Elizabeth II
2.	Ratu Sir George Cakobau (1912–1989)		13 January 1973	12 February 1983
3.	Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau (1918–1993)		12 February 1983	6 October 1987

Presidents (1987–present)[]

Fiji was proclaimed a republic on 7 October 1987, upon the abdication of Queen Elizabeth II following two military coups. Major-General Sitiveni Rabuka, who had masterminded the coups, formed an interim administration, exercising the powers of the presidency but without taking the title, styling himself Head of the Interim Military Government instead. On 5 December that year, the last Governor General, Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau, was appointed the first president. Ganilau served as president until 15 December 1993, when he died in office. He was succeeded by Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara.

In the constitutional upheaval of 2000, following the forced resignation of President Mara on 29 May, Commodore Frank Bainimarama styled himself Head of the Interim Military Government (as had Rabuka in 1987), until Ratu Josefa Iloilo was appointed president on 13 July 2000. On 5 December 2006, Commodore Frank Bainimarama deposed the Fijian Government and President Iloilo and again become Head of the Interim Military Government. On 4 January 2007 Iloilo was restored to presidency, and remain president until 30 July 2009, when he retired and Brigadier-General Ratu Epeli Nailatikau become acting president. On 5 November 2009, Nailatikau was sworn in as president.

List of presidents of Fiji[]

No.	Portrait	President	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Election	Prime Minister
Head of the Interim Military Government
–		Rabuka, SitiveniMajor general Sitiveni Rabuka (born 1948) Acting	7 October 1987	5 December 1987	59 days	RFMF	—	—
Presidents of the Republic of Fiji
1		Ganilau, PenaiaRatu Sir Penaia Ganilau (1918–1993)	5 December 1987	15 December 1993 †	6 years, 10 days	Independent	1987	Kamisese Mara Sitiveni Rabuka
–		Mara, KamiseseRatu Sir Kamisese Mara (1920–2004) Acting	16 December 1993	18 January 1994	33 days	Independent	—	Sitiveni Rabuka
2		Mara, KamiseseRatu Sir Kamisese Mara (1920–2004)	18 January 1994	29 May 2000	6 years, 132 days	Independent	1994	Sitiveni Rabuka Mahendra Chaudhry Tevita Momoedonu
Head of the Interim Military Government
–		Bainimarama, FrankCommodore Frank Bainimarama (born 1954) Acting	29 May 2000	13 July 2000	45 days	RFMF	—	Laisenia Qarase
President of the Republic of Fiji
3		Iloilo, JosefaRatu Josefa Iloilo (1920–2011)	13 July 2000	5 December 2006	6 years, 145 days	Independent	2000 2006	Laisenia Qarase Tevita Momoedonu Laisenia Qarase
Head of the Interim Military Government
–		Bainimarama, FrankCommodore Frank Bainimarama (born 1954) Acting	5 December 2006	4 January 2007	30 days	RFMF	—	Jona Senilagakali
Presidents of the Republic of Fiji
(3)		Iloilo, JosefaRatu Josefa Iloilo (1920–2011)	4 January 2007	30 July 2009	2 years, 207 days	Independent	—	Frank Bainimarama
–		Nailatikau, EpeliRatu Brigadier general (Rtd) Epeli Nailatikau (born 1941) Acting	30 July 2009	5 November 2009	98 days	Independent	—	Frank Bainimarama
4		Nailatikau, EpeliRatu Brigadier general (Rtd) Epeli Nailatikau (born 1941)	5 November 2009	12 November 2015	6 years, 7 days	Independent	2009	Frank Bainimarama
5		Konrote, JiojiMajor general (Rtd) Jioji Konrote (born 1947)	12 November 2015	Incumbent	5 years, 303 days	Independent	2015	Frank Bainimarama

See also[]

• President of Fiji
• Prime Minister of Fiji