kind of public referendum to get to this moment so she and her government were able to pushit her government were able to push it forward. she firmly that becoming a republic is a sign of self confidence for this country and a way of really breaking the link with its colonial past and she believed it is really important for young barbadian is to have a barbadian is the head of state are not queen elizabeth. staying in the commonwealth. what is the view from buckingham palace? they are takin: a buckingham palace? they are taking a rather buckingham palace? they are taking a rather pragmatic - buckingham palace? they are| taking a rather pragmatic view of all of this. the queen will send a personal message later on this evening to the president and people of barbados but they say these are decisions then to individual countries and they could do nothing about it and if they feel it is best for them to move forward as a republic buckingham palace and the royal household will support that
to barbados. these are live pictures from national heroes square in the barbados capital, bridgetown. the caribbean island becomes the world s newest republic. queen elizabeth has been replaced as head of state by an elected president, dame sandra mason. there ve been calls for britain to apologise and make reparations for slavery. the majority of barbados s population are descendants of africans shipped across the atlantic for the benefit of british colonists. barbados gained independence in 1966 but has now lost queen elizabeth ii as head of state. it will remain part of the