Following the recent ceremony attended by Prince Charles, Barbados has removed Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state and has become a republic.
The event was held on Barbados’ Independence Day and Sandra Mason was sworn in as President during the transition ceremony. She is the first president and the first female leader the country has seen. This comes after almost six decades of struggle for the country to gain its independence, and as such is a pinnacle moment for Barbados.
The ceremony was preceded by music, dance and poetry before the royal standard was finally lowered. A 21-gun salute followed which signified the rebirth of Barbados as a republic.
Parting from the monarchy was not just emotional and symbolic; it was a positive and practical step for the country. Barbadians have claimed their country back. They have a head of state who is a native and can restore the true Bajan culture.
Removing the Queen has had an overall positive response from the people of Barbados, most of who felt that the decision was long overdue. But many people also feel that there is a lot more to be done before Barbados can emerge fully from its colonial past.
Lorraine Denton, a history teacher in Barbados said “ I am so happy, and I am blessed to be able to see it. Generations to follow will take inspiration from this. We Barbadians have been owed retribution for a long time and now we are one step closer to it.”
Barbados was one of England’s first slave colonies so the sense of freedom that independence brings is mixed with a desire for retribution.
In the 17th Century hundreds of thousands of people were brought from Africa to the tiny island and were made slaves who worked on sugar plantations, to the enormous economic benefit of the British.
Slavery ended in 1834, which is not that long ago and so the effects of it are still present. This is partly why Barbados plans to build a transatlantic slavery museum win order to tell the true story of slavery in Barbados.
Because Barbados was part of the Commonwealth, many people migrated there, so its colonial history means the country is very diverse. Amongst native Bajans are many other races. Colonisation and the monarchy had an influence on Bajan culture long after slavery was abolished. Many of the parishes are named after English saints and the towns are named after British ones, for example Scarborough, Hastings, Yorkshire and many more.
The country becoming a republic is a victory and the new regime has promised changes will follow this decision. But whether other Commonwealth countries follow in Barbados’ footsteps to freedom remains to be seen.