Barbados to remove Queen as head of state

Barbados plans to drop Queen Elizabeth

as its head of state

and become a republic

The Caribbean island is a former British colony

It gained independence in 1966

but maintained a formal link with the British monarchy

similar to other countries

that were once part of the British Empire

"The time has come to fully leave our colonial past behind… Barbadians want a Barbadian Head of State."

Attribution: Barbados Governor General Sandra Mason