Editing Governor-general (section)

===British Empire===
[[Image:btweedsmuir2.jpg|thumb|[[John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir|Lord Tweedsmuir]] was [[Governor General of Canada]] from 1935 to 1940. The uniform shown here was the unique ceremonial dress for a governor general]]

Until the 1920s, governors-general were British subjects, appointed on the advice of the British government, who acted as agents of the British government in each Dominion, as well as being representatives of the monarch. As such they notionally held the prerogative powers of the monarch, and also held the executive power of the country to which they were assigned. The governor-general could be instructed by the [[Secretary of State for the Colonies|colonial secretary]] on the exercise of some of his functions and duties, such as the use or withholding of [[Royal Assent|royal assent]] from legislation; history shows many examples of governors-general using their prerogative and executive powers. The monarch or imperial government could overrule any governor-general, though this could often be cumbersome, due to the remoteness of the territories from London.

The governor-general was also usually the commander-in-chief of the armed forces in his or her territory and, because of the governor-general's control of the military, the post was as much a military appointment as a civil one. The governors-general are entitled to wear a unique uniform, which is not generally worn today. If of the rank of major general, equivalent or above, they were entitled to wear that military uniform.