VICE-REGAL POSTS
The unconfirmed rumour that Australia's Prime Minister has made a request for the appointment of the Duke of Kent as Governor-General of the Commonwealth is interesting. As to the right of Mr. Lyons to put such a direct request to His Majesty there can be no doubt: since the pronouncements of the Imperial Conferences of 1926 and 1930 this procedure has displaced that of nomination by the Government of Great Britain. When Sir Isaac Isaacs was appointed Governor-General of Australia in December, 1930, the Commonwealth Government made the nomination, in. strict accordance with the principles set out in that year. They apply to all the Dominions. Their wording is explicit:
1. The parties interested in the appointment of a Governor-General of a Dominion are His Majesty the King, whose representative ho is, and the Dominion concerned. 2. The constitutional practice that His Majesty acts on the advice' of responsible Ministers applies also in this instance.
3. Tho Ministers who tender and are responsible for such advice are _ His Majesty's Ministers in the Dominion concerned. 4. The Ministers concerned tender their formal advice after informal consultation with His Majesty.
Possibly that informal consultation is in process. If so, Mr. Lyons' reticence is right and proper. On the feasibility of the appointment of a Prince to a vice-regal post it should be remembered that a GovernorGeneral is not now representative of "His Majesty's Government in Great Britain or of any department of that Government" but of the Crown, "holding in all essential respects tho same position in relation to the administration of public affairs in the Dominion as is held by His Majesty the King in Great Britain." This change, enhancing the dignity of the post, increases the possibility of the appointment of a son of the King. When Prince George was known to be leaving the Navy in 1929 there was an expectation that he might become Governor-General of Canada. He has had experience in the Foreign Office and is known to take a keen interest in the Civil Service. His recent marriage adds to his undoubted qualifications.
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Bibliographic details
New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22000, 5 January 1935, Page 8
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349VICE-REGAL POSTS New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22000, 5 January 1935, Page 8
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