The British governor of the Falkland Islands at the time of the 1982 Argentine invasion, who wore his full ceremonial uniform as he was taken prisoner, has died aged 86, the government said on Monday.

Rex Hunt organised the defence to the invasion despite only having a tiny force of Royal Marines on the South Atlantic islands at the time and refused to shake the hand of the Argentine general commanding the offensive.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said in a statement that Hunt was a "hero to everyone in Britain".

"Faced with invading forces in Port Stanley in April 1982, his courage, resolve and judgement fired the spirit of the Islanders and the British people to stand up to aggression and to defend the rights and freedom of the Islanders," Cameron said.

Hunt was appointed governor of the Falkland Islands in 1980 when Britain was scaling down its commitment to the windswept territory, which had long been claimed by Argentina.

When Argentine forces landed on April 2, 1982, he and the island's force of 68 Marines holed up in the governor's mansion and fought off the invaders for hours.

He eventually decided to surrender to avoid casualties.

But in a final act of defiance he dressed in his governor's uniform -- including a ceremonial sword, and a hat topped with ostrich plumes -- and refused to shake invading commander General Oswald Garcia's hand.

He was expelled and went back to London.

After Britain recaptured the Falklands in a short war that that left 649 Argentines and 255 British soldiers dead, he returned as governor and remained in post until 1985.

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Britain's Falklands governor during 1982 invasion dies