Exciting days ahead for Barbados as Dame Sandra Mason, 72, will be sworn in as the first-ever president of Barbados on November 30.
She will be sworn in on the 55th anniversary of the country’s independence from Britain. The event is likely to be attended by Prince Charles.
Clarence House said in a statement: “His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales will visit Barbados to mark Barbados’s transition to a republic within the Commonwealth. The Prime Minister of Barbados, the Honourable Mia Amor Mottley, extended an invitation to the prince, as future head of the Commonwealth, to be guest of honour at the republic celebration events. His Royal Highness will also undertake a short programme of engagements in Barbados.”
On swearing in, Ms Mason will replace Queen Elizabeth II as Barbados’ head of state.
Barbados is following other Caribbean nations which have dispensed with the Queen as their head of state and turned to a homegrown representative, with Guyana becoming a republic in 1970, Trinidad and Tobago in 1976, and Dominica two years later.
In recent years Jamaica has also signaled it wants an elected head of state, with Prime Minister Andrew Holness saying it is a priority for his government.
The Queen remains head of state in a number of countries across the world.
She is the head of state in the UK, though it operates as a constitutional monarchy, meaning the ability to make and pass legislation lies with the elected parliament.
These are the other countries across the world that still hold the Queen as the head of state:
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Belize
- Canada
- Grenada
- Jamaica
- New Zealand
- Papua New Guinea
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Solomon Islands
- Tuvalu
