Barbados To Become A Republic, Plans To Remove Queen As The Head Of State

Barbados government in a recent statement has revealed that it wants to remove Queen Elizabeth as its head of state and become a republic. The Caribbean nation aims to complete the process of becoming a republic before its 55th anniversary of independence from Britain, in November 2021.

“The time has come to fully leave our colonial past behind,” Barbados Governor General Sandra Mason said in a speech on behalf of the nation’s Prime Minister Mia Mottley. Barbados, a former British colony, gained its independence in 1966. It has maintained a formal link with the master monarchy since then. There are other countries as well that were once part of the British Empire that have maintained formal ties like the island nation.

What you should know:

• Barbados wants to become a republic by its 55th Anniversary of Independence in November 2021.
• Barbados, one of the most prosperous Caribbean islands with the most population, gained its independence in 1966.
• As Queen Elizabeth is its constitutional head, the country wants a ‘Barbadian Head of State’.
• Buckingham Palace said the idea has been discussed openly many times.

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“Barbadian’s want a Barbadian Head of State. This is the ultimate statement of confidence in who we are and what we are capable of achieving. Hence, Barbados will take the next logical step toward full sovereignty. We will become a Republic by the time we celebrate our 55th Anniversary of Independence,” Mason said in the speech.

As far as Buckingham Palace’s statement on this issue is concerned, it is said that ‘it was a matter for the government and people of Barbados’, BBC News reported. A source at Buckingham palace said that the idea “was not out of the blue”. They added that it “has been mooted and publicly talked about many times,” BBC reported.

About the Caribbean island state

Barbados is one of the most prosperous and populous islands of the Caribbean. It gained its independence in 1966 from the British monarchy. Although it is an independent state, Queen Elizabeth remains its constitutional head. Its current Prime Minister is Mia Mottley, who is the first woman to hold the post in the nation. She was elected in 2018.