Brian Ellsworth, Guy Faulconbridge

BRIDGETOWN, Reuters – Prince Charles of Britain flew to Barbados Monday as Barbados prepared for a celebration marking the establishment of a republic. He also removed the monarch as sovereign. This marked the end of imperial ties that had existed 400 years ago when English ships arrived.

Barbados was granted independence in 1966 from Britain, however it still has Queen Elizabeth as its sovereign. In an inauguration ceremony, to take place on Tuesday when Barbados celebrates its independence, Queen Elizabeth will be succeeded by a Barbadian president.

The loss of the last vestiges of an empire that once covered the entire globe won’t have any direct effect on Barbados’s economy and trade relations.

Prince Charles will deliver a speech just after midnight on Tuesday, saying that much of the relationship between the two nations will remain the same, including “the myriad connections between the people of our countries – through which flow admiration and affection, co-operation and opportunity.”

Buckingham Palace said that Barbados should decide the issue.

This will be the first time that the queen has been removed from her position as head of the state in over three decades. Mauritius was an Indian Ocean island that declared itself republic in 1992.

Celebrations will start late Monday night and continue into Tuesday when Sandra Mason, the first President of the United States, will be inducted as a symbol behind Prime Minister Mia Mottley.

Mason is currently Governor-General of Barbados.

It is possible that similar changes could be made in the other ex-British colonies, including Australia, Canada, Jamaica and Australia.

Mottley spoke Saturday, saying that Barbados is moving forward with its republic’s foundation. However, he stressed the need for citizens to face climate change and inequality with the same passion they had when seeking independence in 20th-century Barbados.

“As the British monarchy has ended 396 years, it is time for us to create a parliamentary republic. Mottley, speaking at the opening of the park to honor Barbadian independence fighters, asked us all to acknowledge that our challenges have evolved but that they remain as formidable as ever.