Barbados Declares Republic and Removes Queen Elizabeth as Head of State

The Caribbean island nation of Barbados has officially removed Queen Elizabeth as its head of state. <br /><br />REPUBLIC <br /><br />Barbados recently elected its first ever president, Sandra Mason. She was sworn in at a ceremony celebrating the birth of the new republic. Prince Charles said his mother, Queen Elizabeth, sends the island her “warmest good wishes.”<br /><br />A republic describes a political system in which the public elects representatives to govern their country. Rule by birthright, like a king or queen, is called a monarchy.