The Caribbean nation is all set to cut strings from its gruesome colonial past, Queen loses another Commonwealth realm.
Highlights —
- Barbados takes final step towards Republicanism, Queen no longer the constitutional monarch
- Sandra Mason appointed as the first president of the country.
- The Commonwealth realms count of the Royal Family comes down to 15
- Prince Charles to address the nation, hopes to maintain warm relations despite constitutional decision.
Breaking past centuries of colonial shackles, Barbados is all set to finally becoming a republic, removing Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state. On the occassion of 55th anniversary of independence from Britain, the country is ready to replace Queen with Sandra Mason who will be the nation’s first president.
Prince Charles marked his arrival on Sunday, witnessing the preparation of the island nation that will have its first ever Barbadian leader.
“The time has come to fully leave our colonial past behind,” the Caribbean island nation’s government said.
While the move would not have much diplomatic consequences for Barbados as Queen Elizabeth II was just a symbolic head, it still sends out a strong message. The nation no longer wants to withstand its colonial past and that the United Kingdom need not to have any ties connected.
The country is engulfed in celebration. The celebration that began at 8 P.M. local time was planned to coincide with country’s independence day on Tuesday.
Queen Elizabeth II ousted- no strings attached anymore
The step towards absolute Republicanism was first announced last year on the annual Throne Speech and was described as “the next logical step towards full sovereignty.”
Prince Charles will deliver a speech in the capital city of Bridgetown, congratulating the nation for the new dawn and assuring that U.K. and Barbados will continue sharing warm relations.
The decision of Barbados to become a republic brings down the count of total Commonwealth realms of Royal Family to 15. Among the nations that still identify Queen as their head of state are Canada, Australia, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea among others.
Before Barbados, Mauritius was the last country in 1992 to oust Queen Elizabeth II as head of state.
The fresh monarch-free future of Barbados
Barbados is all set to appoint Sandra Mason as the first president of republic. Mason was formerly governor-general of the country- a designation which is technically the representative of Queen in the Commonwealth realms.
After being under control of the U.K. since 1620s, the country finally gained independence back in 1966. The history of the colonial period bears some gruesome details of thousands of enslaved Africans who were emancipated in 1834. Back then, the country was the prime sugar export destination for the Britain, however, its economy has now expanded into tourism and finance.
Following up on the pain from the past, the locals of Barbados have been calling for ousting of Queen as constitutional monarch since long.
The Prime Minister of the country is already a Barbadian, Mia Mottley, who is also the first female PM of the nation.
