Who is the chief of freemasonry?

The Grand Master of Masons. In the US, each state has a Grand Lodge, presided over by the Grandmaster. In Europe, each country has a Grandmaster.

There are two distinct traditions in connection with the office of Grand Master. Generally speaking, the European practice is for the same Grand Master to be re-elected for several consecutive years, maybe even several decades, whilst in other countries a Grand Master serves a set term of only one to three years, and then retires.

In several European countries, the position of Grand Master has often been held by members of royal families or the high nobility. In some Protestant northern European countries, the position was held by the King for a long time. In England and Wales, the current Grand Master is HRH Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, who was elected in 1967 and has been re-elected each year since.