‘Tonight’s the night’: Barbados prepares to become a republic
Global News
Britain's Prince Charles will be present for the inauguration of President-elect Sandra Mason, who will be the replacement for Queen Elizabeth.
Barbados on Monday prepared to remove Britain’s Queen Elizabeth as its head of state and become a republic, as it severs imperial ties some 400 years after English ships first reached the Caribbean island.
Britain’s Prince Charles arrived on Sunday night to join the inauguration of President-elect Sandra Mason in replacement of Queen Elizabeth, a move by Barbados to shed the final vestiges of a colonial system that once spanned the globe.
“Tonight’s the night!” read the front-page headline of Barbados’ Daily Nation newspaper.
Prime Minister Mia Mottley, the leader of Barbados’ republican movement, will help lead the ceremony. Mottley has won global attention by denouncing the effects of climate change on small Caribbean nations.
“I am happy. We are on our own now with no king or queen from England,” said Nigel Mayers, 60, who sells oranges at a stall in central Bridgetown. “This is the full drop after independence.”
A celebration including Barbadian music and dance will begin at 8 p.m. local time, with Mason to be inaugurated just after midnight — coinciding with Barbados Independence Day.
Prince Charles will give a speech highlighting the continuing friendship of the two nations despite the change in constitutional status.
Barbados will remain a republic within the Commonwealth, a grouping of 54 countries across Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe.