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A Caribbean nation will vote to remove King Charles III as head of state, PM says as Queen’s death sparks new debate on impact of colonialism

    The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, speaks during a plenary session of the 9th America Summit in Los Angeles, California, June 10, 2022

    The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, speaks during a plenary session of the 9th America Summit in Los Angeles, California, June 10, 2022Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images

    • A former colony of the British Empire will hold a referendum to become a republic, the prime minister said.

    • If the vote passes, King Charles III will be removed as head of state of Antigua and Barbuda.

    • Britain’s colonial past has been thrust into the spotlight following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

    Antigua and Barbuda, a commonwealth country and former colony of the British Empire, will hold a referendum on becoming a republic and removing King Charles III as head of state, the prime minister announced.

    Prime Minister Gaston Browne told British ITV: “This is an issue that should be put to a referendum so that the people can decide.”

    “This is not an act of hostility or any difference between Antigua and Barbuda and the monarchy, but it is the final step to complete that circle of independence, to ensure that we are truly a sovereign nation.”

    He said the vote is likely to take place in the next three years.

    King Charles III is the monarch and head of state for 14 countries outside the UK, including Antigua and Barbuda.

    His role is largely symbolic, but the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday – amid international mourning – sparked renewed discussions about the impact of Britain’s imperial rule and the future relationship between the UK and some of those countries.

    Queen Elizabeth II greets Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda in the Blue Drawing Room in the Blue Drawing Room during The Queen's Dinner during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) at Buckingham Palace on April 19, 2018 in London, England.

    Queen Elizabeth II greets Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda in the Blue Drawing Room in the Blue Drawing Room during The Queen’s Dinner during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) at Buckingham Palace on April 19, 2018 in London, England.Victoria Jones – WPA Pool/Getty Images

    For example, Kenyan writer Patrick Gathara, writing for Insider, described the British monarchy, and with it the late Queen’s reign, as “built on a systematic and persistent effort to erase the truth of colonial subjugation and looting,” adding that “the UK’s withdrawal from its colonial rule was accompanied by the destruction, theft and concealment of huge stacks of embarrassing documents, including details of the horrific, systematic abuse and murder of prisoners during the 1950s Kenya emergency. “

    But discussions about the future of the Commonwealth and the British monarch who would remain the head of state of other countries took place before her death.

    Barbados, for example, deposed the queen as head of state in November 2021 and became a republic. It was one of 17 countries to remove her as head of state during her reign.

    Barbados’ move also sparked discussions about whether or not countries wanted to be part of the remnants of the British Empire.

    Speaking to Insider after Barbados became a republic, Adeyela Bennett, a nonprofit business owner from the Bahamas – another former British colony – said: “We love this particular Queen Elizabeth, but if we sit there and be honest with ourselves, we should say these people have colonized us. They are imperialists.”

    Read the original article on Insider