Vice Admiral Sir David Steel, enjoyed the privilege of hanging the shield displaying the Coat of Arms of His Majesty King Charles III, in the prominent place reserved for the reigning Monarch at the east end of the Hall.
The Banqueting Hall in The Convent was designed much as it is presented today for Governor Codrington in 1864-5. Major changes had to be made after the Bedenham Disaster of 1951 and, although much was repaired, some of the crests and coats of arms were lost, as were three superb stained glass windows of 1864.
In subsequent years, succeeding governors have continued to add history and colour to this majestic hall. At the western end are displayed the Coats of Arms of the 12 previous Kings and Queens of Gibraltar, from Queen Anne who acceded to the Throne in 1702, to that of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Queen Elizabeth’s shield hangs alongside that of Her beloved father King George VI. It was King George VI who renamed the Governor’s official residence The Convent in 1943, after having been called Government House since 1908.
Gibraltar is the only Overseas Territory where the King’s personal representative lives in a building named other than Government House. The shields of all the British Governors of Gibraltar surround the walls and, in all, some 1300 years of the history of Gibraltar are depicted using coats of arms, shield and pennants.
