Barbados wants to remove Queen Elizabeth II as head of state

Barbados decided to retain the British monarch as head of state even after achieving independence. Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state in the UK and 15 other Commonwealth realms, including Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

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Key-Points

The Caribbean nation aims to complete the process of becoming a republic before its 55th anniversary of independence from Britain, in November 2021.

With this, it will become the first country in almost three decades to sever ties with the British royal family and become a republic; Mauritius being the last to do so in 1992.

Barbados, a former British colony, gained its independence in 1966. Although it is an independent state, Queen Elizabeth remains its constitutional head, as did other self-governing Commonwealth nations such as Canada and Australia.

The Caribbean nation is, however, expected to remain a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the 54-nation club of mostly former British colonies which is led by the queen, and includes India.

Its current Prime Minister is Mia Mottley, who is the first woman to hold the post in the nation. She was elected in 2018.