With Barbados announcing plans to remove Queen Elizabeth II from the presidency by the end of next year, social media users have called on Barbadian singer Rihanna to take her place on the throne.
The Caribbean island government said on Wednesday that the time has come to leave our colonial past entirely behind us, including removing the queen from the head of state and becoming a republic by November 2021.
In response, dozens of social media users took to Twitter to announce that Rihanna – who was born in St. Michael and raised in Bridgetown – should be named queen.
Royal: After it was announced that Barbados was planning to remove Queen Elizabeth II from the presidency of the state, dozens of people took to Twitter to say that Barbadian singer Rihanna should be queen.
Moving on: On Wednesday, the Caribbean island government announced its plans to become a republic by November 2021. The Queen was photographed in Barbados in 1977.
I call it now. Rihanna to the Queen of Barbados! A fan tweeted, shared a GIF of the pop star and put a crown on her head.
Brihanna swapped for her you cowards! Another insisted, while another asked, “Can they exchange her for Happiness Rihanna?”
One fan commented, “It all represents the real Queen of Barbados, Rihanna.”
Many agree that when it comes to queens, Rihanna is the one the nation needs.
‘In any case. Barbados already has a queen and her name is rihanna, as Simon Naitram, a lecturer at West Indies University on Cave Hill, on the island, points out.
The future head of state? Rihanna’s fans thought the singer would be the perfect replacement for Queen Elizabeth
Fans: Although Rihanna is not technically a queen, she is undisputedly the island’s most famous resident, and she was honored as such.
“Why would Barbados want the Queen to be the head of state when she could have Rihanna?” Someone else asked.
Rihanna, whose real name is Robin Rihanna Fenty, was a teenager living in Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados, when an American record producer discovered her and launched her to world fame.
And while Rihanna isn’t technically a queen, she is undisputedly the island’s most famous resident, and she has been honored as such.
In 2018, the singer was named “Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary” of Barbados, a role that includes promoting education, tourism and investment.
In 2018, Rihanna was named “Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary” for her country. Photos of her were snapped at the Cadument Day Parade in Barbados in 2019
Beloved: Many agreed that when it comes to queens, Rihanna is the one the nation needs
When she accepted the new title, Rihanna said in a statement that she “could not be more proud of obtaining such a prestigious title” in her home country.
“Every Barbados will have to play their part in this current effort, and I am ready and excited to take on the responsibility,” she added. “I look forward to working with Prime Minister Motley and her team to re-imagine Barbados.”
The star was also honored by having the street she grew up on on Rihanna Drive that was renamed in her honor in 2017.
Barbados announced, Wednesday, its intention to remove Queen Elizabeth from the presidency of the state, and to become a republic by November 2021.
World Collision: Rihanna was in Barbados with Prince Harry in 2019
The Queen is pictured with the Governor General of Barbados Mrs. Sandra Mason at Windsor Castle in 2018
A letter written by Prime Minister Mia Motley and read by Governor General Ms. Sandra Mason said: “It is time to leave our colonial past completely behind. Barbadians want a head of state of Barbados.
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 towards full sovereignty and become a republic by the time we celebrate the 55th anniversary of our independence.
In response to a question to comment on the plans of the Commonwealth of Nations, a spokesman for the palace said: “This is a matter of the government and people of Barbados.”
The Prime Minister’s office also agreed that it was a “decision for Barbados and the government there,” but added that Britain would continue to “enjoy a partnership” with the Caribbean island nation as members of the Commonwealth.
Hits: Queen Elizabeth II was photographed smiling with a young girl in Barbados on November 1, 1977 (left) and on tour during a visit to Bridgetown (right)
Memories: The Queen and Prince Philip are photographed driving through Barbados waving to crowds in February 1966
A spokesperson for Number 10 said: “It is clear that we have a common history and remain united with Barbados in terms of history, culture and language, and we will continue to partner with them and enjoy them as members of the Commonwealth.”
The country gained its independence from Britain in 1966, although the Queen remained her constitutional monarch.
In 1998, the Constitution Review Committee in Barbados recommended Republican status, and in 2015 Prime Minister Freundell Stewart said, “We must move from a monarchy to a republican form in the very near future.”
Most of the Caribbean states maintained formal ties with the monarchy after achieving independence.
Barbados will join Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica and Guyana if it continues its plan to become a republic.
Barbados: The Country’s Colonial History
The Sugar Revolution, the introduction of sugarcane from Dutch Brazil, in the 1640s was very profitable but came at a great social cost
Barbados was one of the oldest English settlements in the West Indies, and only Saint Kitts has surpassed it.
Historical ties between the two countries date back to the 17th century and include settlements, post-colonialism and modern bilateral ties.
Since Barbados gained independence in 1966, the two nations have continued to exchange relations through the Commonwealth, with the Queen as Monarch.
The Parliament of Barbados is the third oldest in the entire Commonwealth of Nations and the island continues to practice the Westminster style of government.
Numerous historic Anglican churches and farmhouses across the island show the influence of English architecture.
In 1627, 80 English men landed on the ship William and John on the Caribbean Island and founded Jamestown (near today’s Holtown), in the name of King James I.
Early settlers struggled to develop a profitable export crop and had difficulties maintaining supplies from Europe.
However, the sugar revolution, the introduction of sugarcane from Dutch Brazil, in the 1640s was extremely profitable, and over the next decade, more than two-thirds of English immigrants to the Americas went to Barbados.
But while the switch to sugar has brought huge profits, it has come at a huge social cost. Thousands of West African slaves were shipped across the Atlantic to work on plantations, and workers suffered from low wages and poor social services.
It is estimated that between 1627 and 1807, about 387,000 Africans were shipped to the island against their will and the country went from a majority white population to a majority black population.
On August 28, 1833, the British government passed the Abolitionist Act, granting emancipation to slaves throughout the British Empire.
Barbados remained a British colony until internal self-government was granted in 1961.
The country became fully independent on November 30, 1966, at a time when the country’s economy was expanding and diversifying.
Since then, the Barbadian Parliament has remained a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy, modeled on the British Westminster system of government.
In 2008, British exports to Barbados totaled £ 38 million, making it Britain’s fourth largest export market in the region.
In recent years, an increasing number of British subjects have moved to Barbados to live, with surveys showing that British citizens make up 75-85 percent of the second home market in Barbados.
