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Government House Bermuda
You can see its sprawling lawns from the junction where the Black Watch Pass meets North Shore road.
Government House is the official residence or the home of Bermuda's Governor. The building sits on a hill top, and overlooks the beautiful north shore. The property with its lawns, tennis courts & swimming pool covers an area of over 210 acres.
The Governor in Bermuda is appointed by Her Majesty The Queen of England on consultation with the Premier of Bermuda. The usual term is for 4 years although it can get extended. Bermuda continues to be a British Overseas Territory and therefore needs to follow certain guidelines from Foreign & Commonwealth Office in London. However, Bermuda has been otherwise fairly autonomous in its governance and has its own set of laws.
Government House Bermuda
The role of the Governor is to apprise Britain on the state of affairs in Bermuda and at the same time ensure that the British guidelines as an Overseas Territory are followed in the island. Bermuda Governor's salary is paid by the island's tax payers. You can see a Governor's own flag flying in the property when he is in the island.
Government House in Bermuda has beautiful manicured gardens, a full Olympic size swimming pool, tennis courts and wide range of plantation including cedars and spice trees. However the property is not open to public since March 1973.
This is when a gruesome incident took place at the lawns of the property. The then Governor Sir Richard Sharples and his aide Captain Hugh Sayers were both assassinated while they were taking a stroll in the evening. A state wide emergency was declared. Subsequently the guilty was tried and executed. That resulted in an island wide riot and loss of many lives.
Also when the Garden Club of Bermuda organizes Open Houses and Gardens tours that includes the Government House, one can see the stately rooms of the house with grand furnishing including the room where Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II had stayed on several occasions.
Some of the other world figures who have stayed here includes Prince Charles, Sir Winston Churchill, President John F. Kennedy and Princess Margaret.
Every year in June, the Governor holds a party at the lawns of the Government House. There are many different kinds of trees that have been planted in the park here. Some have been planted by the visiting British Governors or by other Royal visitors. The property is the largest among all the residential as well as commercial properties in the island. Earlier, it used to be a private home and of much smaller size. Then it was known as Mount Langton.
The building has been designed by the Scottish architect William Hay who had also designed the Bermuda Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity.
Location & Contacts
11 Langton Hill, Pembroke Parish, Bermuda.
Phone: 441/292-1271.
Government House is on North Shore Road and close the Black Watch Well. Bus route #11.
Check out Bermuda Tourist Map for it slocation.
Related Articles
1) Check out Hamilton Bermuda for attractions, activities and other information about Hamilton city.
2) Check out Pembroke Parish know about the parish where Hamilton City is located and also about all its attractions, activities, restaurants, hotels and more.
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