Barbados to Remove Queen as Head of State

Barbados has announced plans to remove the Queen as its Head of State by November 2021, officials say.

BARBADOS is reviving its plans to remove the Queen as head of state and become a republic. The Caribbean island’s leader says its people want a ‘Barbadian head of state’ now and are striving to achieve the goal by November 2021.

The Caribbean island nation said it wants to become a republic and “leave our colonial past behind.” While Barbados gained independence from Britain in 1966, the Queen still remains its constitutional monarch.

Barbados to remove Queen as head of state in 2021
In a recent speech, written by Prime Minister Mia Mottley, he quoted the Caribbean island nation’s first premier Errol Barrow’s warning against “loitering on colonial premises.” image: Twitter

Whilst reading the speech, Governor-General Dame Sandra Mason said: “The time has come to fully leave our colonial past behind. 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. 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.”

Most Caribbean countries have kept formal links with the monarchy after achieving independence. If the proposals go ahead then Barbados would join Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica and Guyana with its plan to become a republic. Jamaica has also signalled it would like such a transition, with Prime Minister Andrew Holness saying it is a priority of his government but has yet to achieve it.

Barbados took another step towards independence from the UK in 2003 when it replaced the London-based Judicial Committee of the Privy Council with the Caribbean Court of Justice, located in Trinidad and Tobago’s Port of Spain, as its final appeals court.

Barbados to remove Queen as head of state in 2021
Cilla Black was a regular visitor to Barbados before she passed away at her villa in Spain on August 2015. image: Twitter

Barbados, a popular holiday destination of former singer Cilla Black, recently offered a free 12 month’s visitors’ stamp for teleworkers who want to spend time on the island.

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Written by

Tony Winterburn

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