Prince Charles to Reaffirm UK-Barbados' 'Trusted Partnership' as Nation Set to Cut Ties With Crown

The island nation gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1966 and has since remained a Commonwealth realm, meaning it recognises the British monarch – Queen Elizabeth II – as its formal head of state. In September, Barbados announced its intention to become a republic and replace the Queen with an elected president.

Prince Charles will reaffirm the UK's "trusted relationship" with Barbados as Bridgetown prepares to cut ties with the British monarchy. The heir to the throne arrived in the Caribbean island on 28 November at the invitation of Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley. The royal was greeted by a Guard of Honour and a 21-gun salute.

The Prince of Wales has arrived in #Barbados ahead of celebration events to mark Barbados’ transition to a Republic within the Commonwealth.

HRH is greeted by a Guard of Honour and the National Anthems are played. pic.twitter.com/TsD3dSh1QB

— The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (@ClarenceHouse) November 29, 2021

The Prince of Wales will give a speech on 30 November – the 55th anniversary of Barbados' independence. On this day, the nation will cease to be a Commonwealth realm and become a republic. The royal will say that cooperation between the two nations will continue.

"As your constitutional status changes, it was important to me that I should join you to reaffirm those things which do not change. For example, the close and trusted partnership between Barbados and the United Kingdom as vital members of the Commonwealth; our common determination to defend the values we both cherish and to pursue the goals we share; and the myriad connections between the people of our countries - through which flow admiration and affection, cooperation, and opportunity - strengthening and enriching us all", Prince Charles will say as per Sky News.

Dame Sandra Mason, who is currently Governor-General of Barbados and is Queen Elizabeth's representative, will on Tuesday become the nation's first president. During a speech on Saturday, Prime Minister Mottley stressed that the transition to becoming a republic will be a step forward for Barbados, but noted that citizens must confront challenges such as inequality and climate change with the same fervor with which they sought independence from Britain in 1966.

Lack of Communication With the Public and Impact on Other Countries

Officials in Barbados have said that discussions on the transition have been going on for a long time. Their statement was echoed by that of experts. Cynthia Barrow-Giles, a professor of constitutional governance and politics at the University of the West Indies, said the desire of the island nation to ditch the British crown spans decades, but emphasises that there was a lack of communication with the public during the decision-making process.

Although the majority of Barbadians support the government's decision, many were concerned about the approach authorities would take, Ms Barrow-Giles said.

Guy Hewitt, who served as the nation's high commissioner to the United Kingdom between 2014 and 2018, said the government should have included the public in the process.

"What we are dealing with now is just the ceremonial, cosmetic changes and I feel that if we were really going to republic, it should have been a meaningful journey, where the people of Barbados were engaged in the entire process of conceptualisation to actually bringing it to fruition", Mr Hewitt said.

Ronnie Yearwood, an activist and lecturer of law at the UWI Cave Hill campus in Barbados, shares this view. He says he feels "robbed of an opportunity" to voice his opinion on the issue. Mr Yearwood says he believes the government should have held a referendum and engaged in a longer period of consultation.

"The process was so badly managed, the government made a decision on the type of republic that we were going to become, without asking me the voter, me the citizen, what form of republic do you want?", he said.

Barbados' decision to become a republic marks the first time in nearly three decades a Commonwealth realm has chosen to cut ties with the British monarchy. The first nation to do this was Guyana in 1970. Trinidad and Tobago and Dominica followed suit in 1976 and 1978 respectively, followed by Mauritius in 1992.

Although the said nations became republics and removed Queen Elizabeth II as their formal head of state, they remained members of the Commonwealth, an association of 54 countries that are former British colonies or current dependencies. Barbados will too remain a member of the Commonwealth.

Experts say that the country's transition to a republic will likely affect other Commonwealth realms, including Australia, Canada, and Jamaica, where the debate about ending the association with the British crown has been going on for quite a while.