While many British people are currently enjoying the warm weather and a break from their daily routine, Barbados will welcome people from across the world starting Friday to observe the peak tourist season.
No, the Barbados Islands have had no intention of asking Queen Elizabeth to stay. However, many Barbadians want to see a change.
Negotiations between the Barbados and Britain for a new agreement on the Queen’s accession to the throne started earlier this year. The Barbados Minister of Commerce, Business and Tourism, Lorne Theophilus, commented on the proposal and explained that the two countries could become closer as they reach a new agreement.
“We believe that there may be greater scope for the agreement to be updated through negotiations to ensure a broader definition of her role in national life,” Theophilus told the press.
He added: “As we enter this new era, we want to reaffirm our commitment to continue building a stronger and fairer Barbados for all.”
Barbadians are torn between the possibility of moving toward an arrangement for the Queen’s accession, which might no longer serve the national interest. On the other hand, some have expressed their desire to retain their current relationship with the Queen as she holds the key to the monarchy.
However, those who spoke to Fox News over the year agreed that it might be time for the country to remove the head of state from their official parliament.
“As long as they have a 100-year rule, the Queen won’t disappear from the parliament,” said Carl Lloyd of the Caribbean Tourism Organization. “The whole structure of who they want to be our Queen has to change.”
But like many other Barbadians, Lloyd said that the country will have to work hard to have a “better sense of self” and that it’s “a matter for our generation.”
However, even those who believe the Queen’s presence in parliament should be removed agree that it’s time for another method of consultation.
Theophilus agreed and added that the Commonwealth as well as the European Union should play a larger role in the discussion. “The island would also benefit from the Commonwealth Economic Council as it is so often overlooked. The Caribbean has been good at open markets but not all countries have the same track record.”
Over the last 40 years, the Barbados government has not only been at odds with the Royal Family but the British government as well. This, according to some analysts, is part of the reason why negotiations took a long time to begin and to reach a resolution.
Donna Bell, a Barbadian journalist, told Fox News that she believes most of the support for the idea of removing the head of state and the monarchy at least from the island parliament is coming from younger Barbadians, who feel more independent of the central government and of their Queen.
“What young people want are things that young people demand,” Bell said. “It is about power and access. People are no longer on top.”