“May you continue to shine like a diamond,” Barbados’ PM said.
Barbados stopped pledging its allegiance to Queen Elizabeth and honoured one of its homegrown talents in an overnight ceremony on Monday.
The island nation officially cut ties with Queen Elizabeth II, ending nearly 400 years of British rule that includes a long history of colonialism and slavery. It also named Rihanna a national hero at a grand ceremony with the singer and Prince Charles in attendance.
The ceremony was held to mark Barbados becoming a republic, and it ended with the swearing-in of the country’s first-ever president, The Guardian reports.