The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia of the Australian monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. The governor-general is appointed by the Queen on the advice of the prime minister. The governor-general has formal presidency over the Federal Executive Council and is Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force, as well as viceregal representative in the Australian Capital Territory. The functions of the governor-general include appointing ministers, judges and ambassadors, giving royal assent to legislation passed by Parliament, issuing writs for election, and bestowing Australian honours.