The Canadian province of Prince Edward Island was a British crown colony before it joined Canadian Confederation in 1873. It has had a system of responsible government since 1851, and the province kept its own legislature to deal with provincial matters after joining Confederation. Prince Edward Island has a unicameral Westminster-style parliamentary government, in which the Premier is the leader of the party that controls the most seats in the Legislative Assembly. The Premier is Prince Edward Island's head of government, and the Queen of Canada is its head of state and is represented by the Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island. The Premier picks a cabinet from the elected members to form the Executive Council of Prince Edward Island, and presides over that body.

Members are first elected to the legislature during general elections. General elections must be conducted every five years from the date of the last election, but the Premier may ask for early dissolution of the Legislative Assembly. An election may also take place if the governing party loses the confidence of the legislature by the defeat of a supply bill or tabling of a confidence motion.

Premiers of the Colony of Prince Edward Island (1851 to 1873)

Prince Edward Island Liberal Party Premier

• George Coles (24 April 1851 to 1854) 1st time

Prince Edward Island Conservative Party Premier

• John Holl (1854 to 1855)

Prince Edward Island Liberal Party Premier

• George Coles (1855 to 1859) 2nd time

Prince Edward Island Conservative Party Premiers

• Edward Palmer (1859 to 1863)
• John Hamilton Gray (1863 to 1865)
• James Colledge Pope (1865 to 1867) 1st time

Prince Edward Island Liberal Party Premiers

• George Coles (1867 to 1869) 3rd time
• Joseph Hensley (1869 to 1869)
• Robert Poore Haythorne (1869 to 1870) 1st time

Prince Edward Island Conservative Party Premier

• James Colledge Pope (1870 to 1872) 2nd time

Prince Edward Island Liberal Party Premier

• Robert Poore Haythorne (1872 to April 1873) 2nd time

Premiers of the Province of Prince Edward Island (1873 to present)

Prince Edward Island Conservative Party Premiers

• James Colledge Pope (April 1873 to September 1873)
• Lemuel Cambridge Owen (September 1873 to August 1876)

Prince Edward Island Liberal Party Premier

• Louis Henry Davies (August 1876 to 25 April 1879)

Prince Edward Island Conservative Party Premiers

• William Wilfred Sullivan (25 April 1879 to November 1889)
• Neil McLeod (November 1889 to 27 April 1891)

Prince Edward Island Liberal Party Premiers

• Frederick Peters (27 April 1891 to October 1897)
• Alexander B. Warburton (October 1897 to August 1898)
• Donald Farquharson (August 1898 to 29 December 1901)
• Arthur Peters (29 December 1901 to 29 January 1908)
• Francis Longworth Haszard (1 February 1908 to 16 May 1911)
• H. James Palmer (16 May 1911 to 2 December 1911)

Prince Edward Island Conservative Party Premiers

• John A. Mathieson (2 December 1911 to 21 June 1917)
• Austin E. Arsenault (21 June 1917 to 9 September 1919)

Prince Edward Island Liberal Party Premier

• John Howatt Bell (9 September 1919 to 5 September 1923)

Prince Edward Island Conservative Party Premier

• James D. Stewart (5 September 1923 to 21 August 1927) 1st time

Prince Edward Island Liberal Party Premiers

• Albert C. Saunders (21 August 1927 to 20 May 1930)
• Walter M. Lea (20 May 1930 to 29 August 1931) 1st time

Prince Edward Island Conservative Party Premiers

• James D. Stewart (29 August 1931 to 10 October 1933) 2nd time
• William J. P. MacMillan (14 October 1933 to 15 August 1935)

Prince Edward Island Liberal Party Premiers

• Walter M. Lea (15 August 1935 to 10 January 1936) 2nd time
• Thane A. Campbell (14 January 1936 to 11 May 1943)
• J. Walter Jones (11 May 1943 to 25 May 1953)
• Alex W. Matheson (25 May 1953 to 16 September 1959)

Prince Edward Island Progressive Conservative Party Premier

• Walter R. Shaw (16 September 1959 to 28 July 1966)

Prince Edward Island Liberal Party Premiers

• Alexander B. Campbell (28 July 1966 to 18 September 1978)
• Bennett Campbell (18 September 1978 to 3 May 1979)

Prince Edward Island Progressive Conservative Party Premiers

• Angus MacLean (3 May 1979 to 17 November 1981)
• James Lee (17 November 1981 to 2 May 1986)

Prince Edward Island Liberal Party Premiers

• Joe Ghiz (2 May 1986 to 25 January 1993)
• Catherine Callbeck (25 January 1993 to 9 October 1996)
• Keith Milligan (9 October 1996 to 27 November 1996)

Prince Edward Island Progressive Conservative Party Premier

• Angus MacLean (27 November 1996 to 12 June 2007)

Prince Edward Island Liberal Party Premiers

• Robert Ghiz (12 June 2007 to 23 February 2015)
• Wade MacLaughlan (23 February 2015 to 9 May 2019)

Prince Edward Island Progressive Conservative Party Premiers

• Dennis King (9 May 2019 to present)