Monarchy of Barbados

Queen of Barbados
Coat of arms of Barbados
Elizabeth II
Details
StyleHer Majesty
Formation30 November 1966
Abolition30 November 2021

The monarchy of Barbados was a system of government in which a hereditary monarch was the sovereign and head of state of Barbados from 1966 to 2021. Barbados shared the sovereign with the other Commonwealth realms, with the country's monarchy being separate and legally distinct. The monarch's operational and ceremonial duties were mostly delegated to her representative, the governor-general of Barbados.[1]

The Barbados Independence Act 1966 transformed the colony of Barbados into the sovereign state of Barbados, with Elizabeth II as head of state. She was the only monarch from the independence of Barbados to the monarchy's abolition. As such, she was officially titled Queen of Barbados. The Barbadian Crown primarily functioned as a guarantor of continuous and stable governance and a nonpartisan safeguard against the abuse of power.

In September 2020, the Governor-General announced in the Throne Speech that Barbados would transition from a constitutional monarchy to a republic by the end of November 2021.[2][3] The monarchy was abolished on 30 November 2021, when Barbados became a republic within the Commonwealth, with a president as its head of state.[4]

  1. ^ "Constitution of Barbados". Government of Barbados. Archived from the original on 30 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Throne Speech Delivered September 15, 2020". Barbados Government Information Service. 15 September 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  3. ^ Drayton, Richard (29 November 2021). "Barbados: the long road to the Republic". Features. Georgetown, Guyana: Stabroek News. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  4. ^ H., D., ed. (1 December 2021). "Republicanism — a decades-long journey". Top Featured Article. Barbados Today Newspaper0 (published 29 November 2021). Retrieved 8 December 2021.