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Barbados Decides To Remove Queen Elizabeth II As Head Of State

Barbados Decides To Remove Queen Elizabeth II As Head Of State

The Caribbean nation hopes to finalise the process by the 55th anniversary of their independence from Britain.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

In a move that doesn't happen very often these days, a country has announced it is removing Queen Elizabeth II as their head of state.

Barbados has outlined plans to become a republic and aims have the deal finalised in time for the country's 55th anniversary of independence from Britain, in November next year.

Prime Minister Mia Mottley said the idea has been floating around for several years and the time has come for her island nation to have someone from Barbados as their head of state.

"The time has come to fully leave our colonial past behind," the Prime Minister said.

"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."

Queen Elizabeth II has remained as the constitutional monarch in the country, despite Barbados declaring independence in the 1960s.

Buckingham Palace was reportedly not surprised by the announcement and that the idea 'was not out of the blue' because it 'has been mooted and publicly talked about many times', according to the BBC.

Barbados will join Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica and Guyana in getting rid of Queen Elizabeth II as their head of state. Jamaica has also revealed their hope to one day do the same.

The move from the Caribbean island has reignited the debate in Australia about whether we should follow suit.

One person on Twitter wrote: "Australia, let's build a better society for all of us and built on truth telling, caring for people and planet, and on healing the extreme pain and agony colonialism continues to perpetuate. Like Barbados, we can start by removing the British Queen as our head of state."

Another added: "Come through Barbados, Australia get your s*** together."

Citizens went to the polls in 1999 in a referendum about whether it should be made a republic, however we ended up sticking with the status quo.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: News