The Caribbean island bids farewell to the Queen in the midst of a new wave of the pandemic

The island says goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II (Getty Images / Getty Images)

The last bastion in the Caribbean to break away from its colonial past, the day has come to say goodbye to Barbados Queen Elizabeth IIfrom the United Kingdom. After centuries of British domination, the island must finally bid farewell to the British monarch on Tuesday, April 30. The change in status comes after five decades of debate over the ruling regime – now, the country will become a republic.

The last step towards self-determination was taken in October of this year, when the island’s parliament met for the first time to choose the president. Sandra Mason, a lawyer and former Supreme Court justice who has served as the Governor-General of Barbados since 2018, and took office as the new state, won on Tuesday, along with Prime Minister Mia Motley. “After 396 years of British rule and 386 years of monarchy in the UK, it is time to express our confidence,” Motley said.

The latest Independence Act – officially announced in 1966 – comes amid frustration with the UK over the pandemic. The island did not receive vaccinations and financial aid from its former rulers. With the economy shutting down (and tourists fleeing), Barbados has seen its GDP decline, dropping by more than 17% in 2020. The 3.3% projected growth for this year is unlikely to make up for the losses or growth. The hope is that tourism, which accounts for 36% of the island’s GDP, will once again create jobs for most of the 300,000 residents and generate wealth.

For a long time, sugarcane was the economic agenda. In the 17th century, the United Kingdom started plantations, first with slaves and then with Irish and English prisoners. Favorable climate and soil helped.

The island is part of the Commonwealth, the community of colonies of the British Empire, such as Australia, Canada, Kenya, and in the Caribbean, Guyana, Jamaica and Antigua.

Of all the British possessions in the Caribbean, Barbados was the last to cut ties with the monarchy. Now the country is preparing a new constitution – instead, it holds the inauguration of the president in the capital, Bridgetown. Hundreds of people are expected to gather in the city’s main square, Trafalgar Square, inspired by its London name, just a few kilometers from the Caribbean Sea, to celebrate the start of a new era.