Rihanna named national hero as Barbados becomes republic

Lifestyle

Published: 2021-12-01 13:02

Last Updated: 2024-03-28 00:43


Rihanna named national hero as Barbados becomes republic
Rihanna named national hero as Barbados becomes republic

Rihanna was honored as a National Hero of Barbados as the Caribbean island nation declared itself the world's newest republic.

Rihanna said "Prime Minister Mia Mottley, thank you so much for honoring me in this way. I have traveled the world and received several awards and recognitions but nothing, nothing compares to being recognized in the soil that you grew in, so I thank you so much for this. Thank you."

"I take you all with me wherever I go. I’m so proud to be a Bajan. I'm going to be a Bajan till the day I die. This is still the only place that I've ever called home. I love Barbados, I love you guys, and I pray that the youth continue to push Barbados forward. I’m so proud of you," she continued.

Rihanna is Barbados’s most famous citizen and in 2018, she was appointed an official ambassador for culture and youth.

One of the first acts of the prime minister of the new republic was to declare Rihanna a National Hero of Barbados.

"May you continue to shine like a diamond and bring honor to your nation," Prime Minister Mia Mottley told the international celebrity.


Also Read: Barbados declared a republic, removing Queen Elizabeth II


Barbados, famous for its idyllic beaches and love of cricket, won independence from Britain in 1966.

In October, it elected Mason its first president, one year after Mottley declared the country would "fully" leave behind its colonial past.