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First Lady of Sri Lanka

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First Lady of Sri Lanka
ශ්‍රී ලංකා ජනාධිපති බිරිද
இலங்கை முதல் பெண்மணி
Incumbent
Mallika Dissanayaka
since 23 September 2024
ResidencePresident's House
Inaugural holderSeelawathie Gopallawa
Formation22 April 1972 (1972-04-22)

First Lady of Sri Lanka (Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකා ජනාධිපති ආර්යා Śrī Laṃkā Janādhipathi Aryā; Tamil: இலங்கை முதல் பெண்மணி Ilankai Mutal Peṇmaṇi) refers to the wife of the President of Sri Lanka. In recent years the holders of the title have been formally or informally referred to by the title First Lady or First Lady of Sri Lanka, though there are no provisions for such in the constitution.[1]

To date, there have been eight women who have served in the role. The current First Lady of Sri Lanka is Mallika Dissanayaka, wife of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who has held the position since 23 September 2024.[2][3] There have been no first gentlemen of Sri Lanka to date, since former President Chandrika Kumaratunga, the country's only female head of state, was a widow while in office.

Origins

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The office of the president of Sri Lanka was created in 1972 when Sri Lanka became a republic. William Gopallawa, who was the governor-general of Ceylon at the time, became the country's inaugural president. His wife, Seelawathie Gopallawa, became the first wife of a president of Sri Lanka. When J. R. Jayewardene became the next president, his wife was known as Lady Elina Jayewardene during and after his presidency.[4] During the presidency of Ranasinghe Premadasa, his wife Hema Premadasa took on a very viable role and became a public figure unlike before.[5]

Chandrika Kumaratunga who was president from 1994 to 2005 was a widow as her husband, film star Vijaya Kumaratunga, was assassinated in 1987. When Mahinda Rajapaksa became president, his wife Shiranthi Rajapaksa took a higher profile role, using the title of first lady and becoming a public figure during her husband's presidency, with her own naval aide and staff funded by the Presidential Secretariat.

List

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#
Image
First Lady
Birth Marriage
President
(Husband, unless noted)
Tenure began
Age at tenure start Tenure ended Length of retirement
Death Lifespan
Notes
1 Seelawathie Gopallawa
(née Rambukwella)
8 March 1928 William Gopallawa 1972 1977† 0 days (1977-10-04)4 October 1977
Position vacant Position fell vacant upon the death of Seelawathie Gopallawa.
2 Elina Jayewardene
(née Rupasinghe)
(1913-12-15)15 December 1913 28 February 1935 J. R. Jayewardene 1978 64 years, 51 days 1989 18 years, 319 days (2007-11-17)17 November 2007 93 years, 337 days
3 Hema Premadasa
(née Wickrematunge)
(1934-10-27)27 October 1934 23 June 1964 Ranasinghe Premadasa 1989 54 years, 67 days 1993 31 years, 197 days Living 90 years, 18 days
4 Wimalawathi Kumarihami Dingiri Banda Wijetunga 1993 1994
Position vacant Chandrika Kumaratunga Kumaratunga's husband, Vijaya Kumaratunga, was assassinated in 1988 before she became president.
5 Shiranthi Rajapaksa
(née Wickramasinghe)
(1953-01-23)23 January 1953 1983 Mahinda Rajapaksa 2005 52 years, 300 days 2015 9 years, 310 days Living 71 years, 296 days
6 Jayanthi Pushpa Kumari 1970s Maithripala Sirisena 2015 2019 4 years, 362 days Living
7 Ayoma Rajapaksa Gotabaya Rajapaksa 2019 2022 854 days Living
8 Professor Maithree Wickremesinghe
(née Wickremasinghe)
(1964-08-11)11 August 1964 1994 Ranil Wickremasinghe 2022 57 years, 343 days 2024 Living 60 years, 95 days
9 Mallika Dissanayake 1994 Anura Kumara Dissanayake 2024 Living

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Shiranthi Wickremesinghe Rajapaksa - First Lady of Sri Lanka". Office of the First Lady of Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 2014-06-13. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  2. ^ "How did Ranil Wickremesinghe become Sri Lanka's president after six terms as PM?". The National (Abu Dhabi). 2022-07-20. Archived from the original on 2022-08-03. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  3. ^ "First Lady travels alone in London". The Morning (Sri Lanka). 2022-09-25. Archived from the original on 2022-09-27. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  4. ^ Welilaka, Clarence (2 December 2007). "Memoirs of a just, caring and endearing personality". The Sunday Leader.
  5. ^ "President Premadasa's death anniversary commemorated with military honours on President's directive - Azwer". Daily News. 18 May 2006.