sat in the Board of Ministers. He was the first Ceylonese to hold the post of Financial Secretary. He held the position until his resignation in September 1947. He was awarded KCMG in the 1948 New Year Honours for his service as Financial Secretary, Ceylon. Political career Minister of Home Affairs and Rural Development With Ceylon gaining dominion status within the British Commonwealth, in 1947 the first cabinet of ministers was formed with Senanayake as Prime Minister after the 1947 general elections. Goonetilleke was appointed as the Minister of Home Affairs and Rural Development on 26 September 1947. He had been appointed to the newly formed upper house of parliament, the Senate of Ceylon and became the Leader of the Senate when both houses were ceremonially opened by the Duke of Gloucester, marking the independence of Ceylon on 4 February 1948. His term as a Cabinet Minister did not last long as he resigned as Minister and Senator on 22 July 1948, and was succeeded by Edwin Wijeyeratne. High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Goonetilleke was thereafter appointed the first Ceylonese High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and served till February 1951. Minister of Home Affairs and Rural Development He returned to Ceylon in early 1951, to resume his cabinet position as Minister of Home Affairs and Rural Development and Leader of the Senate in March 1951 succeeding Edwin Wijeyeratne and served till April 1952. Minister of Finance Following the Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake's resignation after the Hartal 1953, Sir John Kotelawala succeeded him. Goonetilleke was appointed by Kotelawala to his cabinet as Ministry of Finance and the Treasury on 14 October 1953, while holding the post of Leader of the Senate. Once again his ministerial tenure was brief, lasting only till June 1954. During this time he served as the Minister in Attendance to the Queen during her Royal visit to Ceylon. Governor-General Shortly after a visit by Queen Elizabeth II to Ceylon in April 1954, the decision was taken to appoint a Ceylonese native to the post of Governor-General, succeeding Lord Soulbury. D. S. Senanayake had died in 1952, and Colonel Sir John Kotalawela was Prime Minister when Goonetilleke succeeded to the position and took up residence in Queen's House. He was a friend of the powerful philanthropist Sir Ernest de Silva who assisted him in the ascension to Governor-General. He remained in office after the election of