Barbados ditches the Queen!

Well miracles never cease.

Barbados, long revered as the most civilized and best-educated of the Carribean Island nations, has a new constitution and have replaced the Queen as head of state.

Their newly elected president, Sandra Mason has become the head of state.

From Wikipedia (a timeline of events):

2020
In September 2020, the Barbados Labour Party government of Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced in their Throne Speech that Barbados would become a republic by November 2021.[17][18] The Barbados Labour Party holds a two-thirds majority in both houses of the Barbadian Parliament (including all but one lower house seat), enough to approve a constitutional amendment.[19][20] If the plan is successful, Barbados would cease to be a Commonwealth realm, but would maintain membership in the Commonwealth of Nations.[21][22] One news report stated that Guyana, as well as Trinidad and Tobago, already has such a relationship with the Commonwealth as do the majority of its member states, forming a "loose association of former British colonies and current dependencies."[23]

In the 2020 Throne Speech, the Governor-General of Barbados Sandra Mason stated that "The time has come to fully leave our colonial past behind. Barbadians want a Barbadian head of state." Former Prime Minister Freundel Stuart was also a supporter of Barbados becoming a republic, as was former Barbadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Guy Hewitt, who stated in an interview that many Barbadians believe that the country was due for "a native-born citizen as head of state."[23][1] On 3 June 2021, it was reported in Barbadian media outlets that the general public could email to submit suggestions regarding the republic issue.[24]

On 27 July 2021, the Day of National Significance in Barbados, Mottley announced that Barbados's cabinet had decided that Barbados would become a parliamentary republic by 30 November, and accepted the recommendations of the Forde Commission.[25] Under the proposal, the president would be elected by both houses of Parliament for a four-year term, and be eligible for a second term. The president would have mostly ceremonial powers; real power would continue to be de facto vested in the Prime Minister and Cabinet.[25] with the amendments to the Constitution of Barbados being made before 30 November to facilitate the swearing-in of a new president on that day.[25] The decision to become a republic without holding a referendum on the issue has been criticised.[26][27]

Constitutional amendment[edit]
On 20 September 2021, the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2021 was introduced to the Parliament of Barbados.[28] It proposed the following amendments to the Constitution of Barbados:[29]

• All references in the law of Barbados to Her Majesty the Queen, the Crown, and the Sovereign shall be read and construed as referring to the State;
• All references to "Her Majesty's dominions" shall be read and construed as a reference to the Commonwealth of Nations.
• All references to the Governor-General shall be read and construed as referring to the President of Barbados;
• All the powers of the Governor-General transferred to the President;
• Amending the official oaths of Barbados to remove references to the Queen.[29]
• Electing the first President in a joint sitting of the Parliament of Barbados by 15 October 2021 by the joint nomination of the Prime Minister of Barbados and Leader of the Opposition with the person elected to take office on 30 November 2021;
• Following the end of the first President's term, future presidents will be elected by either a joint nomination of the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition or if there is no joint nomination, a vote of both houses of the Parliament of Barbados where a two-thirds majority is required;
• President to serve a term of five years;
• Vesting all property held by the Crown in the State;
• Vesting all the rights and privileges of the Governor-General in the President;
• Vesting the prerogatives or privileges of the Crown or Sovereign in the State, subject to the Constitution;

On 28 September 2021, the House of Assembly of Barbados passed the bill (25–0).[30] On 6 October 2021, the Senate of Barbados passed the bill.[31]

First president
On 12 October 2021, incumbent Governor-General of Barbados Dame Sandra Mason was jointly nominated by the prime minister and leader of the opposition as candidate for the first president of Barbados,[32] and was subsequently elected on 20 October.[33] Mason will take office on 30 November 2021.[30]