Until 1862, the territory was under the vice-regency of the Governor of Jamaica, and administered by a Superintendent.
After this it was a colony in its own right, and administered by a Lieutenant Governor, still subordinate to Jamaica.
In 1884, the colony was severed from its dependency to Jamaica and gained its own Governor.
On 1 June 1973, the colony of British Honduras was renamed Belize.
On 21 September 1981 Belize gained independence from the United Kingdom.