The 1964 Constitution of Malawi vested executive power in the monarch as head of state, though her constitutional roles were delegated to her representative, the Governor-General, Sir Glyn Smallwood Jones, who was also the last Governor of Nyasaland.

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh represented the Queen at the independence celebrations in July 1964.

On 7 July, the Duke read the Speech from the Throne at parliament, on behalf of the Queen, in which it was stressed that Malawi would not seek "to impose its ideology on others, nor will it accept the imposition of other ideologies upon itself".

Hastings Banda, the former Prime Minister of Malawi declared himself the first President of the republic.

[5] Queen Elizabeth II had the following styles in her role as the monarch of Malawi: