This is a list of the heads of state of Ceylon and Sri Lanka, from the independence of the Dominion of Ceylon in 1948 to the present day. From 1948 to 1972 the head of state under the Ceylon Independence Act 1947 was the Monarch of Ceylon, who was the same person as the Monarch of the United Kingdom and the other Dominions/Commonwealth realms. The Monarch was represented in Ceylon by a Governor-General. Ceylon became a republic under the Constitution of 1972 and the Monarch and Governor-General were replaced by a ceremonial President. In 1978, under the current Constitution, the President gained executive powers, becoming head of state and government.