Monarchy of Barbados
The monarchy of Barbados was a system of government in which a hereditary monarch was the sovereign and head of state of Barbados from 1966 to 2021. Barbados shared the sovereign with the other Commonwealth realms, with the country's monarchy being separate and legally distinct. The monarch's operational and ceremonial duties were mostly delegated to her representative, the governor-general of Barbados.
The Barbados Independence Act 1966 transformed the colony of Barbados into the sovereign state of Barbados, with Elizabeth II as head of state. She was the only monarch from the independence of Barbados to the monarchy's abolition. As such, she was officially titled Queen of Barbados. The Barbadian Crown primarily functioned as a guarantor of continuous and stable governance and a nonpartisan safeguard against the abuse of power.
In September 2020, the Governor-General announced in the Throne Speech that Barbados would transition from a constitutional monarchy to a republic by the end of November 2021. The monarchy was abolished on 30 November 2021, when Barbados became a republic within the Commonwealth, with a president as its head of state.
Origins
Monarchy in Barbados can trace its origins to the country's foundation as a colony, first of England, then as part of the British Empire. Barbados was claimed under King James I of England in 1625, though not colonised until 1627, when, in the name of King Charles I, Governor Charles Wolferstone established the first settlement on the island. By the 18th century, Barbados became one of the main seats of British authority in the British West Indies. Due to the economic burden of duties and trade restrictions, some Barbadians, including the Clerk of the General Assembly, attempted to declare in 1727 that the Act of Settlement 1701 had expired in the colony, since the Governor, Henry Worsley, had not received a new commission from King George II upon his accession to the throne. Thus, Barbadians refused to pay their taxes to a governor they recognised as having no authority. The Attorney and Solicitor General of Great Britain confirmed that Worsley was entitled to collect the dues owed. But, Worsley resigned his post before the directive arrived in Barbados.After attempting in 1958 a federation with other West Indian colonies, Barbados continued as a self-governing colony under the Colonial Office until independence came with by Queen Elizabeth II signing the Barbados Independence Order in 1966. The Barbados Independence Act 1966, passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom, transformed the Colony of Barbados into a sovereign state with an independent constitutional monarchy. The Queen's cousin, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, represented her at the independence celebrations. On Independence Day, the Prince opened the second session of the first parliament, on behalf of the Queen.
The Barbadian Crown and its aspects
Since Barbadian independence, the country's Crown had both a shared and a separate character, as the sovereign was equally shared with the other Commonwealth realms, while the sovereign's role as monarch of Barbados—represented by a viceroy, the governor-general of Barbados—was distinct to his or her position as monarch of any other realm, including the United Kingdom. Only Barbadian ministers of the Crown could advise the sovereign on matters of the Barbadian state. The monarchy thus ceased to be an exclusively British institution and, in Barbados, became a Barbadian, or "domesticated" establishment.This division was illustrated in a number of ways: The sovereign, for example, held [|a unique Barbadian title] and, when she was acting in public specifically as a representative of Barbados, she used, where possible, Barbadian symbols, including the country's national flag, and [|unique royal symbols]. Per the Barbadian National Anthem law, upon arrival or departure of the sovereign or a member of the royal family, only the Barbadian national anthem was played.
A claim made by supporters of the monarchy was that it "keeps the line of stability open"; the sovereign's residence outside the country meant legitimate executive power would be unaffected by any hostile invasion of Barbados or other event that might render the entire sitting government incapacitated or otherwise unable to function. Such a situation did not arise; however, it may have helped had the Operation Red Dog invasion plot—which targeted the Commonwealth of Dominica and, likely, Barbados,—not been halted.
Title
Shortly after independence, Queen Elizabeth II, at the request of the Prime Minister of Barbados, adopted separate and distinct style and titles in her role as Queen of Barbados. Per a royal proclamation on 24 April 1967, later published in the Official Gazette of Barbados, the Queen's style and titles in relation to Barbados became: Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Barbados and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth.This style reflected Barbados's status as an independent monarchy, highlighting the monarch's role specifically as Queen of Barbados, as well as the shared aspect of the Crown throughout the Commonwealth realms. Typically, the sovereign was styled "Queen of Barbados", and was addressed as such when in Barbados, or performing duties on behalf of Barbados abroad.
Succession
By convention, succession in Barbados was deferred to the laws of the United Kingdom; whoever was monarch of Britain was automatically also the monarch of Barbados. Succession in Britain is, for those born before 28 October 2011, by male-preference primogeniture and, for people born after 28 October 2011, by absolute primogeniture, governed by common law, the Act of Settlement 1701, Bill of Rights 1689, and Succession to the Crown Act 2013.Though these laws still lie within the control of the British parliament, the United Kingdom cannot change the rules of succession without the unanimous consent of the other realms, unless explicitly leaving the shared monarchy relationship, which has been likened to a treaty among these countries. Barbados last indicated its consent to alteration to the line of succession in 2013, when the Barbadian Parliament passed the Succession to the Throne Act, 2013, which signified the legislature's acceptance to the British Succession to the Crown Bill 2013.
Personification of the state
The sovereign was regarded as the personification, or legal personality, of the Barbadian state. Therefore, the state was referred to as Her Majesty in Right of Barbados. The monarch, her position as sovereign, and not as an individual, was thus the owner of all state lands, buildings and equipment, as well as the copyright for all literary and artistic works. Government staff were also employed by the monarch or the governor-general, as were Supreme Court judges, members of the Barbados Defence Force, police officers, and senators.The monarch was the locus of oaths of Allegiance, required of many employees of the Crown, as well as by new citizens, as per the Oath of Citizenship laid out in the Barbados Citizenship Act. This was done in reciprocation to the sovereign's Coronation Oath, wherein she promises to govern the peoples of her realms, "according to their respective laws and customs". The oath of allegiance in Barbados was:
Constitutional role and royal prerogative
gave the country a similar parliamentary system of government to the other Commonwealth realms, wherein the role of the monarch and governor-general was both legal and practical, but not political. The Crown was regarded as a corporation, in which several parts shared the authority of the whole, with the sovereign as the person at the centre of the constitutional construct, meaning all powers of state were constitutionally reposed in the monarch. The constitution required most of the Queen's domestic duties to be performed by the governor-general, appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister of Barbados.All institutions of government acted under the sovereign's authority; the vast powers that belong to the Barbadian Crown were collectively known as the Royal Prerogative. Parliamentary approval was not required for the exercise of the Royal Prerogative; moreover, the consent of the Crown was sought before either of the houses of parliament may even debate a bill affecting the sovereign's prerogatives or interests.
The government of Barbados was also thus formally referred to as Her Majesty's Government. Further, the constitution instructed that any change to the position of the monarch, or the monarch's representative in Barbados, required the consent of two-thirds of all the members of each house of parliament.
Executive
One of the main duties of the Crown was to appoint a prime minister, who thereafter headed the Cabinet and advised the monarch or governor-general on how to execute their executive powers over all aspects of government operations and foreign affairs. The monarch's, and thereby the viceroy's role was almost entirely symbolic and cultural, acting as a symbol of the legal authority under which all governments and agencies operate, while the Cabinet directed the use of the Royal Prerogative, which included the privilege to declare war, maintain the Queen's peace, and direct the actions of the Barbados Defence Force, as well as to summon and prorogue parliament and call elections. However, it is important to note that the Royal Prerogative belonged to the Crown and not to any of the ministers, though it might have sometimes appeared that way, and the constitution allows the governor-general to unilaterally use these powers in relation to the dismissal of a prime minister, dissolution of parliament, and removal of a judge in exceptional, constitutional crisis situations.There were also a few duties which were specifically performed by the Queen, such as appointing the governor-general, or the creation of Barbadian honours.
The governor-general, to maintain the stability of government, appointed as prime minister the individual most likely to maintain the support of the House of Assembly. The governor-general additionally appointed a Cabinet, at the direction of the prime minister, at least five other ministers of the Crown. The Queen was informed by her viceroy of the acceptance of the resignation of a prime minister and the swearing-in of a new prime minister and other members of the ministry, she remained fully briefed through regular communications from her Barbadian ministers, and she held regular audiences with them whenever possible. Members of various executive agencies and other officials are appointed by the Crown. The appointment of privy councillors, senators, and Supreme Court justices also fell under the Royal Prerogative.