Queen Elizabeth II has been removed as head of state for Barbados, as it has officially declared itself a republic.
Cutting an almost 400-year-old tie with the British royal family that began with its colonisation in 1627, the country conducted a ceremony on Tuesday 30 November 2021 to officially remove Queen Elizabeth II from the head of state position.
The ceremony, which was attended by Prince Charles, saw the Queen’s royal standard lowered from its position on Barbados’ Parliament building at midnight last night.
The Queen sent a message to the country’s new president, Sandra Mason, in which she said:
“I first visited your beautiful country on the eve of independence in early 1966, and I am very pleased that my son is with you today. Since then, the people of Barbados have held a special place in my heart.
“As you celebrate this momentous day, I send you and all Barbadians my warmest good wishes for your happiness, peace and prosperity in the future.’
The country celebrated the removal of the Queen with traditional songs, dances, speeches and poetry, as a packed crowd gathered in National Heroes Square to mark the occasion.
Speaking to the crowd, Prince Charles recognised the appalling slavery foisted upon the people of Barbados by the English and the mistakes that had been made during colonisation.
‘Tonight you write the next chapter of your nation’s story, adding to the treasury of past achievement, collective enterprise and personal courage which already fill its pages,’ he said, reported Sky News.
Barbados will remain a member of the Commonwealth, but it’s thought that the countrys decision to remove Queen Elizabeth II as their head of state may prompt other countries to follow suit.
The Monarch is now only recognised as head of state by 15 countries in the Commonwealth, including the UK.
Feature image – Flickr / Wikimedia Commons
