Barbados Removes Queen Elizabeth II as Head of State

Barbados has become a new republic and has removed Queen Elizabeth 2, as its Head of State.

The New Republic swore in its first President, Sandra Mason, who was elected last month by a joint session of the country’s House of Assembly and Senate.

Barbados announced its plan to become a republic last year, but it will remain within the Commonwealth.

The new era for Barbados ends Britain’s centuries of influence, including more than 200 years when the island was a hub for the transatlantic slave trade.