what was the highest ranking official in new spain called
New Spain After 1535 the colony was governed by the Viceroy of New Spain, an appointed minister of the King of Spain, who ruled as monarch over the colony from its capital, Mexico City.[1][2] New Spain lost parts of its territory to other European powers and independence, but the core area remained under Spanish control until 1821, when it achieved independence as the Mexican Empire â€“ when the latter dissolved, it became modern Mexico and Central America.