Calls for Cutting Ties with British Monarchy Grow Louder in Caribbean

An increasing number of Caribbean countries are preparing a referendum to remove the British monarch as their head of state.

Antigua and Barbuda became the latest to do so, announcing a referendum that would take place within the next three years.

“It is a final step to complete the circle of independence to become a truly sovereign nation,” Gaston Browne, the country’s Prime Minister, stated.

The announcement comes months after Jamaica and St. Vincent revealed their goal to become republics.

As many as six countries in the Caribbean are seeking to cut ties with the British monarchy, including Belize, the Bahamas, Grenada and St. Kitts & Nevis.

Calls for sovereignty began to grow louder since November last year, when Barbados swore in its first president after removing the British Queen as the head of state.

Some countries face a more complicated road towards independence, though. While Barbados had no need to hold a referendum, others have to seek public approval to do so. Saint Vincent and Grenada, for example, were unable to remove the Queen after the proposal failed to reach a supermajority in ther respective referendums.

In spite of the difficulty of the task, analysts see younger generations in the Caribbean pushing the region towards full independence sooner or later.

Earlier this year, Prince Edward and Sophie had to cut their tour of the Caribbean short following large-scale protests. Some protesters in Belize and Jamaica even demanded reparations for slavery and an apology from the British government.