Barbados to cut ties with Queen Elizabeth II, become a republic in a grand ceremony
Source: NBC News
LONDON — Almost 400 years after the first English ship arrived on its golden shores, the former British colony of Barbados will wake up Tuesday as a republic. The tiny Caribbean nation will remove Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state in a ceremony that will begin late Monday, breaking its ties with the British royal family — and with it, one of the island’s last remaining imperial bonds to the United Kingdom. It comes 55 years to the day since Barbados gained full independence but kept the monarch in the ceremonial role.
The event will see Sandra Mason, a Barbadian who has served as the island’s governor general — or queen’s representative — sworn in as the country’s first president. She was elected to the figurehead post by Parliament last month, but Prime Minister Mia Mottley will continue to run the country. “It is a monumental step,” Kristina Hinds, a senior lecturer in political science at the University of the West Indies in eastern Barbados, said on a Zoom call from her home in Wanstead, north of the capital, Bridgetown. “I think it is part of the evolution of our independence, and it is certainly long overdue.”
Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, will be in attendance as Barbados celebrates ending its formal links with his 95-year-old mother. Elizabeth is queen of 15 other realms including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and Jamaica.A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace said the decision was a matter for the people of Barbados.The occasion will feature music and dancing. In a “final salute to the monarchy,” according to Charles’ office, the queen’s standard will be lowered and fireworks will mark Mason’s inauguration.
Charles is expected to give a speech saying much of the relationship between the two nations will remain the same, including “the myriad connections between the people of our countries.” His presence may signal the royal family’s desire to maintain strong bonds with the island, which will remain in the Commonwealth — a voluntary association of 54 states that includes many former British colonies and which the queen has championed throughout her life.
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/barbados-queen-republic-ceremony-prince-charles-rcna6901
Congrats to them!
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