| Translate This News In |
|---|
Barbados deposed Queen Elizabeth as head of state on Tuesday, establishing a new republic with its first-ever president and cutting the Caribbean island’s last remaining colonial ties nearly 400 years after the first English ships landed.
After Queen Elizabeth’s royal standard was lowered over a packed Heroes Square in Bridgetown, the new republic was formed at the stroke of midnight.
The heir to the British monarchy, Prince Charles, was present to witness the transfer, which republicans hope would stimulate debate of similar plans in other former British territories ruled by Queen Elizabeth.
Barbados sees Elizabeth II’s resignation as an opportunity to finally rid itself of the demons of its colonial history, as she still reigns over 15 other countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and Jamaica.
Sandra Mason was sworn in as Barbados’ first president in the shadow of Barbados’ parliament, following a spectacular exhibition of Barbadian dance and music, complete with remarks commemorating the end of colonialism.
Winston Farrell, a Barbadian poet, urged the gathering, “Full stop this colonial page.” “Under the Union Jack, some have grown up foolish, lost in their own skin castles.”
“It’s about us recovering our past and rising from the cane fields,” he explained. The narrator states, “Place a Bajan there instead of her.”
Barbados has been tied to England since an English ship claimed it for King James I in 1625, and the birth of the republic, which occurred 55 years ago today, has broken practically all of the colonial ties that have kept the little island bound to England.
It could also be a sign of a bigger move by other former colonies to cut connections with the British monarchy as Elizabeth’s nearly 70-year reign comes to an end and Charles takes his place.
Barbados’ republican leader, Prime Minister Mia Mottley, assisted in leading the ceremony. By decrying the consequences of climate change on small Caribbean countries, Mottley has gained international attention.
History of Slavery
Hundreds of people lined the Chamberlain Bridge and the Wharf in Bridgetown to greet Prince Charles, who would deliver a speech underscoring the two countries’ continued friendship despite England’s pivotal role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
While Britain portrays slavery as a transgression of the past, some Barbadians are demanding compensation.
Activist David Denny praised the republic’s founding, but said he opposed Prince Charles’ visit, pointing out that the royal family has profited from the slave trade for generations.
In an interview in Bridgetown, Denny said, “Our movement would like the royal family to pay a compensation.”
Toiling on the estates of tobacco, cotton, indigo, and sugar, the English initially used white British indentured labourers, but Barbados would become England’s first truly prosperous slave society in just a few decades.
Between 1627 and 1833, 600,000 enslaved Africans were brought to Barbados and forced to work on the sugar plantations, where they earned fortunes for the English owners.
Between the 15th and the 19th centuries, European countries enslaved more than 10 million Africans in the Atlantic slave trade. Those who made it through the often-dangerous journey were forced to work on plantations.
Barbados will remain a Commonwealth republic, which includes 54 African, Asian, American, and European countries.
Some Barbadians said they had no idea what the transition to a republic signified or why it was important outside of the extravagant official event.
“They should respect Queen Elizabeth’s authority and leave her alone. Why do we need to be a republic, I don’t understand “Standing in the shadow of an independence monument, Sean Williams, 45, expressed his thoughts.
In 1992, the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius declared itself a republic, and the queen was deposed as head of state for the first time.
