King's House, Jamaica
Encyclopedia
King's House is the official residence
of the Governor-General of Jamaica
, who represents the Jamaican Monarch
, and head of state
.
By the year 1690, the first official residence in Jamaica (for use by the Governors of Jamaica) was in Port Royal
. Another was constructed in Spanish Town
in 1762. When Kingston
became the capital of Jamaica in 1872, a new official residence (called King's House) was constructed at the former home of the Anglican Lord Bishop of the Diocese of Jamaica
. This house was destroyed by an earthquake in 1907
.
Soon after, Sir Charles Nicholson
, a British architect supervised the rebuilding and restoration of King's House. Despite a major fire in 1908, the present King’s House is structurally similar to the reconstruction of 1907.
Today, King's House is still used as the office of the Governor-General of Jamaica. It is also the venue for state and ceremonial functions, including the swearing in of Ministers of Government and Judges of the High Court.
In 1962, it was used as a filming location in the first James Bond
film Dr. No
, as a "Government House".
Official residence
An official residence is the residence at which heads of state, heads of government, gubernatorial or other senior figures officially reside...
of the Governor-General of Jamaica
Governor-General of Jamaica
The Governor-General of Jamaica represents the Jamaican monarch, and head of state, who holds the title of King or Queen of Jamaica ....
, who represents the Jamaican Monarch
Monarchy of Jamaica
The Monarchy of Jamaica is a constitutional system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Jamaica, forming the core of the country's Westminster-style parliamentary democracy...
, and head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
.
By the year 1690, the first official residence in Jamaica (for use by the Governors of Jamaica) was in Port Royal
Port Royal
Port Royal was a city located at the end of the Palisadoes at the mouth of the Kingston Harbour, in southeastern Jamaica. Founded in 1518, it was the centre of shipping commerce in the Caribbean Sea during the latter half of the 17th century...
. Another was constructed in Spanish Town
Spanish Town
Spanish Town is the capital and the largest town in the parish of St. Catherine in the county of Middlesex, Jamaica. It was the former Spanish and English capital of Jamaica from the 16th to the 19th century...
in 1762. When Kingston
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
became the capital of Jamaica in 1872, a new official residence (called King's House) was constructed at the former home of the Anglican Lord Bishop of the Diocese of Jamaica
Anglican Diocese of Jamaica
The Anglican Diocese in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands was formed in 1824 and has had the following Bishops #Christopher Lipscomb 1824-1843#Aubrey George Spencer 1843-1872#Reginald Courtenay 1872-79#William George Tozer 1879-1880#Enos Nuttall 1880-1916...
. This house was destroyed by an earthquake in 1907
1907 Kingston earthquake
The 1907 Kingston earthquake which shook the capital of the island of Jamaica with a magnitude of 6.5 on the moment magnitude scale on Monday January 14th, at about 3:30 pm local time , was considered by many writers of that time one of the world's deadliest earthquakes recorded in history...
.
Soon after, Sir Charles Nicholson
Sir Charles Nicholson, 2nd Baronet
Sir Charles Archibald Nicholson, 2nd Baronet , became well-known as an ecclesiastical architect. He was the son of Sir Charles Nicholson, 1st Baronet, and brother of the stained glass artist Archibald Keightley Nicholson and of Sir Sydney Hugo Nicholson, organist at Westminster Abbey and founder of...
, a British architect supervised the rebuilding and restoration of King's House. Despite a major fire in 1908, the present King’s House is structurally similar to the reconstruction of 1907.
Today, King's House is still used as the office of the Governor-General of Jamaica. It is also the venue for state and ceremonial functions, including the swearing in of Ministers of Government and Judges of the High Court.
In 1962, it was used as a filming location in the first James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
film Dr. No
Dr. No
Dr. No is the sixth novel in Ian Fleming's James Bond series, first published in the UK by Jonathan Cape on 31 March 1958. The story centres on Bond's investigation into the disappearance in Jamaica of a fellow MI6 operative, Commander John Strangways and his secretary, Mary Trueblood. He...
, as a "Government House".