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The monarchy of Barbados was the core of the country's Westminster style parliamentary democracy, being the foundation of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the government. The Barbadian monarch was Queen Elizabeth II. As the sovereign, she was the personal embodiment of the Barbadian Crown.
Although the person of the sovereign was equally shared with 15 other independent countries within the Commonwealth of Nations, each country's monarchy is separate and legally distinct. As a result, the monarch was officially titled Queen of Barbados and, in this capacity, she, her husband, and other members of the Royal Family would undertake public and private functions domestically and abroad as representatives of the Barbadian state. However, the Queen was the only member of the Royal Family with any constitutional role. Given that the Queen lives predominantly in the United Kingdom and, while several powers are the sovereign's alone, most of the royal governmental and ceremonial duties in Barbados were carried out by the Queen's representative, the governor-general.
In October 2021, Sandra Mason was elected by Parliament to become the first President of Barbados. On 30 November 2021, Mason replaced Queen Elizabeth as head of state, with Barbados transitioning to a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations, thus ending the Queen's reign and the monarchy of Barbados. |
