Rihanna's father Ronald Fenty says Barbados should have removed Queen as head of state in 1966 as country reveals it will become a republic next year
- Mr Fenty, 66, said that Barbados would 'still be part of the Commonwealth'
- The Queen's representative said 'Barbadians want a Barbadian head of state'
- PM Mia Mottley said Barbados would be a republic by November 2021
The father of singer Rihanna has said that Barbados should have removed the Queen as a head of state as the country reveals it will become a republic.
Ronald Fenty, 66, said the Queen should have been removed as head of state 'when we declared independence in 1966'.
He told The Times that he can see 'British people being hurt by the decision' but that Barbados will 'still be part of the Commonwealth'.
Barbados has announced its intention to remove the Queen as its head of state and become a republic by November, 2021.
Ronald Fenty, 66, said the Queen should have been removed as head of state 'when we declared independence in 1966'
The decision to replace the Queen as head of state is dividing the conservative nation
It was the Queen's representative, governor-general Dame Sandra Mason, 71, who announced on Wednesday that 'the time has come to fully leave our colonial past behind'.
She added that 'Barbadians want a Barbadian head of state'.
Prime Minister Mia Mottley wrote a speech quoting the Caribbean island nation's first premier Errol Barrow's warning against 'loitering on colonial premises'.
Ms Mottley came to power two years ago with a programme that included a 'reassessment' of relations with the United Kingdom.
The decision to replace the Queen as head of state follows the decriminalisation of cannabis and the removal of Bridgetown's statue of Horatio Nelson in dividing this conservative nation.
Buckingham Palace has said Barbados' intention to remove the Queen as head of state and become a republic is a 'matter' for the Caribbean nation.
The Queen pictured with Governor-General of Barbados Dame Sandra Mason at Windsor Castle in 2018
The Queen inspects a guard of honour upon arrival in Barbados in 1977
Prince Charles attends a wreath laying ceremony in Bridgetown in March 2019
Reading the speech, Governor-General Dame Sandra Mason said: 'The time has come to fully leave our colonial past behind. Barbadians want a Barbadian Head of State.
'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.'
Asked to comment on the Commonwealth country's plans a palace spokesman said: 'This is a matter for the government and people of Barbados.'
Downing Street said it was a 'decision for Barbados and the Government there' but that Britain would continue to 'enjoy a partnership' with the Caribbean island nation as members of the Commonwealth.
Left, Queen Elizabeth ll smiles with a young girl in Barbados on November 1, 1977. Right, Queen Elizabeth II on a walkabout during a visit to Bridgetown
A Number 10 spokesman said: 'We obviously have a shared history and remain united with Barbados in terms of history, culture and language, and we will continue to have and enjoy a partnership with them as members of the Commonwealth.'
The country gained its independence from Britain in 1966, though the Queen remains its constitutional monarch.
In 1998, a Barbados constitutional review commission recommended republican status, and in 2015 Prime Minister Freundel Stuart said 'we have to move from a monarchical system to a republican form of government in the very near future'.
Most Caribbean countries have kept formal links with the monarchy after achieving independence.
Barbados would join Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica and Guyana if it proceeds with its plan to become a republic.
The Queen and Prince Philip driving through Barbados waving to the crowds in February 1966
Jamaica has also flagged such a transition, with Prime Minister Andrew Holness saying it is a priority of his government, but has yet to achieve it.
Barbados took another step towards independence from the UK in 2003 when it replaced the London-based Judicial Committee of the Privy Council with the Caribbean Court of Justice, located in Trinidad and Tobago's Port of Spain, as its final appeals court.
Former Prime Minister Owen Arthur promoted the idea of a referendum on becoming a republic in 2005, however the vote was called off due to concerns raised by the Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
Funny stuff - I wonder what the indigenous people think of it all - probably aren't any left, being displaced by the Europeans and Africans - the locals have about as much claim over the Island, as The Queen does, at least they are Conservatives tho'!
ReplyDeleteHmm. I always thought Rihanna was black.
ReplyDeleteSo what does he look like if not b lack?
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