LONDON — Almost 400 years after the first English ship arrived on its golden shores, the former British colony of Barbados will wake up Tuesday as a republic.
The tiny Caribbean nation will remove Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state in a ceremony that will begin late Monday, breaking its ties with the British royal family — and with it, one of the island’s last remaining imperial bonds to the United Kingdom. .
A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace said the decision was a matter for the people of Barbados.
“It’s problematic for those among us who believe that the British monarchy, as important as it has been for Barbados historically in positive ways, has also caused serious harm to the country,” she said
In the 17th century, Barbados was claimed by the British and turned into a lucrative colony using the labor of hundreds of thousands of people brought over as slaves from Africa
Many places in Barbados are named after the queen or her ancestors, and a lion’s share of the country’s tourists come from the U.K., she added
Still, several people in Barbados welcomed their country’s move to sever ties with its old imperial rulers.
The decision to remove the queen as head of state was announced in 2020 but with little consultation about the transition, Yearwood said.
“When the queen eventually passes away, there is going to be an emergence of further conversations, particularly in places like Australia, about whether they want to have Charles as their head of state,” Prior said
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