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Barbados has become the latest Commonwealth country to become a republic, removing Queen Elizabeth II as head of state.
Prime Minister Mia Mottley said it was time to “completely leave our colonial past behind.”
In recent years, conversations about the Of the Queen The role as ruler of the Commonwealth kingdom Nations have gained ground, with countries like Jamaica proposing to replace her as head of state.
But what is the current position of the Queen and how much power does she have over the remaining Commonwealth countries that still recognize her as monarch?
The Queen with the Governor General of Barbados, Sandra Mason, in 2018
In which countries is Queen Elizabeth II head of state?
At one point, the Queen was the recognized head of state of all Commonwealth countries, meaning that she ruled them in the same ceremonial manner as she does the United Kingdom.
Today, the Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 54 independent countries, made up of 2.4 billion people, working together to advance shared interests.
Its roots go back to the British Empire when countries around the world were ruled by Great Britain.
The London Declaration of 1949 marked the birth of the modern Commonwealth and recognized King George VI as its chief.
After her death, Commonwealth leaders recognized Queen Elizabeth II in that capacity.
She is the head of state of 16 countries that are part of the Commonwealth kingdom, including the United Kingdom.
These include Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, as well as several island nations in the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean.
They are Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bahamas, Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea, Saint Lucia, Solomon Islands, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
The Queen and Prince Philip cross Barbados in 1966
What countries have removed the Queen as head of state?
Several countries removed the Queen from office in the years after her independence, usually replacing her with a prime minister.
Barbados It is the last, although the Queen will remain in office until November 2021.
It is not the first Caribbean country to do this.
Queen Elizabeth II smiles with a girl in Barbados in 1977
Guyana did the same in 1970, Trinidad and Tobago did the same in 1976, and Dominica in 1978.
Barbados joins 38 other Commonwealth countries with a head of state other than Elizabeth II.
The last to do so was Mauricio almost three decades ago in 1992.
Jamaica could be the next to follow suit: In 2016, the country’s parliament considered a constitutional amendment to remove the Queen as the nation’s monarch.
Australia has had several high-profile discussions on the subject.
The nation almost embraced republicanism in a 1999 referendum, but 54.9% of those who voted to keep the Queen.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip greet supporters during a Commonwealth visit to Australia in 1954
What power does the Queen have as head of state?
Each Commonwealth country functions independently of the Queen, with its own elected governors and laws.
As head of state, the queen has no royal power, although she is recognized as a ceremonial ruler, as in the United Kingdom.
When she is head of state, a governor-general acts as the queen’s representative.
They carry out the everyday ceremonial duties that the queen would normally be expected to do, such as appointing ministers, ambassadors, and giving royal consent to legislation.
The Queen on a visit to Jamaica in 1983
Governors General are elected or elected by the country’s parliament, cabinet or prime minister and all are formally appointed by the Queen.
On the advice of the government of a Commonwealth realm, almost all governor generals are knighted by the Queen as an accepted norm and given the title of Lady when female and Lord when male.
Canada and Australia are the exceptions to this.
