Exhibit 31

                    CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

                                 XL CAPITAL LTD

            PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
                     (CHAPTER 98, TITLE 15 U.S.C. SS. 7241)

I, Brian M. O'Hara, certify that:

   1. I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of XL Capital Ltd;

   2. Based on my knowledge,  this report does not contain any untrue  statement
of a  material  fact or omit to  state a  material  fact  necessary  to make the
statements made, in light of the circumstances  under which such statements were
made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

   3. Based on my  knowledge,  the  financial  statements,  and other  financial
information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the
financial  condition,  results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as
of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

   4. The  registrant's  other  certifying  officers and I are  responsible  for
establishing and maintaining  disclosure  controls and procedures (as defined in
Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have:

   a)    Designed  such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures,  or caused  such
         disclosure   controls  and   procedures   to  be  designed   under  our
         supervision,  to  ensure  that  material  information  relating  to the
         registrant,  including its consolidated subsidiaries,  is made known to
         us by others within those entities,  particularly  during the period in
         which this report is being prepared;

   b)    Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and
         procedures  and  presented  in this  report our  conclusions  about the
         effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures,  as of the end
         of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

   c)    Disclosed  in this  report  any  change  in the  registrant's  internal
         control over financial  reporting that occurred during the registrant's
         most recent fiscal quarter (the  registrant's  fourth fiscal quarter in
         the case of an  annual  report)  that has  materially  affected,  or is
         reasonably  likely to  materially  affect,  the  registrant's  internal
         control over financial reporting; and

   5. The registrant's other certifying officers and I have disclosed,  based on
our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting,  to the
registrant's  auditors  and the audit  committee  of the  registrant's  board of
directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

   a)    All significant  deficiencies and material  weaknesses in the design or
         operation  of  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  which are
         reasonably  likely to  adversely  affect  the  registrant's  ability to
         record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

   b)    Any fraud,  whether or not material,  that involves management or other
         employees  who have a  significant  role in the  registrant's  internal
         control over financial reporting.


Dated: August 9, 2004


                                         /s/ BRIAN M. O'HARA
                                         -------------------------------------
                                         Brian M. O'Hara
                                         President and Chief Executive Officer




                    CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

                                 XL CAPITAL LTD

            PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
                     (CHAPTER 98, TITLE 15 U.S.C. SS. 7241)

I, Jerry de St. Paer, certify that:

   1. I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of XL Capital Ltd;

   2. Based on my knowledge,  this report does not contain any untrue  statement
of a  material  fact or omit to  state a  material  fact  necessary  to make the
statements made, in light of the circumstances  under which such statements were
made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

   3. Based on my  knowledge,  the  financial  statements,  and other  financial
information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the
financial  condition,  results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as
of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

   4. The  registrant's  other  certifying  officers and I are  responsible  for
establishing and maintaining  disclosure  controls and procedures (as defined in
Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have:

   a)    Designed  such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures,  or caused  such
         disclosure   controls  and   procedures   to  be  designed   under  our
         supervision,  to  ensure  that  material  information  relating  to the
         registrant,  including its consolidated subsidiaries,  is made known to
         us by others within those entities,  particularly  during the period in
         which this report is being prepared;

   b)    Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and
         procedures  and  presented  in this  report our  conclusions  about the
         effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures,  as of the end
         of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

   c)    Disclosed  in this  report  any  change  in the  registrant's  internal
         control over financial  reporting that occurred during the registrant's
         most recent fiscal quarter (the  registrant's  fourth fiscal quarter in
         the case of an  annual  report)  that has  materially  affected,  or is
         reasonably  likely to  materially  affect,  the  registrant's  internal
         control over financial reporting; and

   5. The registrant's other certifying officers and I have disclosed,  based on
our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting,  to the
registrant's  auditors  and the audit  committee  of the  registrant's  board of
directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

   a)    All significant  deficiencies and material  weaknesses in the design or
         operation  of  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  which are
         reasonably  likely to  adversely  affect  the  registrant's  ability to
         record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

   b)    Any fraud,  whether or not material,  that involves management or other
         employees  who have a  significant  role in the  registrant's  internal
         control over financial reporting.


Dated: August 9, 2004


                                         /s/ JERRY DE ST. PAER
                                         ----------------------------------
                                         Jerry de St. Paer
                                         Executive Vice President and Chief
                                         Financial Officer