After Queen Elizabeth’s death, many nations are planning to turn their backs on the monarchy. Antigua and Barbuda is one of these nations. The country has been a monarchy since its independence from the United Kingdom, but the death of the queen has made many people question whether or not they want to remain a part of the monarchy.
For Antigua and Barbuda, the decision to cut ties with the monarchy is symbolic of its journey to full independence.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne said that the time was right to make the switch, as the country looks to forge its own identity in the 21st century.
“We are republicans at heart, and this is something that we have been moving towards for some time,” he said.
“This is not an act of hostility, or any difference between Antigua and Barbuda and the monarchy.”
After Mauritius in 1992, Barbados became the world’s latest republic last November by officially removing Queen Elizabeth as its head of state.
In the 1970s, the Queen was removed as head of state in Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, and Dominica, and in 1987, she was removed as head of state in Fiji.
The republican movement in Australia has seen a renewed push in recent years, with the cause getting a major boost with the election of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who appointed MP Matt Thistlethwaite to the new role of Assistant Minister the Republic.
