Barbados to Remove Queen Elizabeth as Head of State in 2021
Though Barbados gained its independence from the British empire in 1966, Queen Elizabeth has remained the country's constitutional monarch for decades. Now, set to become a republic ahead of its 55th anniversary of independence, Barbados is changing that.
Barbados' governor-general Dame Sandra Mason read a speech written by Prime Minister Mia Mottley, announcing the move. "The time has come to fully leave our colonial past behind," Mason read, per Sky News. "Barbadians want a Barbadian head of state. This is the ultimate statement of confidence in who we are and what we are capable of achieving." The speech also quoted Barbados' first Prime Minister, who once warned against "loitering on colonial premises."
She continued, "Hence, Barbados will take the next logical step toward full sovereignty and become a republic by the time we celebrate our 55th anniversary of independence," in November 2021.
Said Buckingham Palace, per royal reporter Lizzie Robinson, "this is a matter for the Government and people of Barbados." A source told CNN that the decision was not "out of the blue," and came after being "mooted and publicly talked" about many times.
The Queen is still the Head of State in the U.K. and 15 other countries, and remains the Head of the Commonwealth, a voluntary association of 54 nations, most of which were once a part of the British Empire. Barbados is and will remain a part of the Commonwealth.
Many countries have dropped the Queen as their Head of State after gaining independence, though most did so in previous decades. Prior to Barbados, Mauritius was the last to do so in 1992.
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