Barbados has officially removed Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state and became a republic.
It was gathered that on Monday, November 29, in the capital of Bridgetown, Dame Sandra Mason was sworn in as president in the ceremony coinciding with the country’s 55th anniversary of independence.
Singer Rihanna, who is from Barbados attended the event alongside the Prince of Wales, Charles, who represented the Queen.
In a speech, Prince Charles acknowledged the “appalling atrocity of slavery” the Caribbean island suffered while stating it was time for the Island to move ahead as a republic.
According to the guest of honour at the event, Prince Charles reiterated the continuing ties between the two nations despite the constitutional status change.
He described the moment as a new beginning before being awarded the prestigious Order of Freedom of Barbados by the new president.
The Queen sent the country her “warmest good wishes” for “happiness, peace and prosperity in the future” and said the nation holds a “special place” in her heart.
To signify the official change of power, a final salute was made to the British monarchy and the British Royal Standard flag was lowered and replaced.
Rihanna was decorated during an event to celebrate the Caribbean Island nation becoming a republic, replacing British monarch with its head of state, and effectively severing its last remaining colonial bonds nearly 400 years after the first English ships arrived at the Caribbean Island.
Mia Mottley said to a jubilant crowd in the capital, Bridgetown that “on behalf of a grateful nation, but an even prouder people, we therefore present to you the designee for national hero for Barbados, ambassador Robyn Rihanna Fenty.”
“May you continue to shine like a diamond and bring honour to your nation by your works, by your actions,” she added.
Barbados announced its plan to become a republic last year, but it says it will still remain within the Commonwealth.
Barbados was one of England’s first slave colonies. English settlers first occupied the island in 1627 and, under British control, it became a sugar plantation economy using enslaved people brought in from Africa.
Slavery was abolished in Barbados in 1834 and the country became fully independent in 1966.
Before Barbados, which has a population of about 285,000 people, the last nation to remove the Queen as head of state was Mauritius in 1992.
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