BARBADOS HAS elected its first ever president ahead of removing the Queen as its head of state and officially becoming a republic later this year.

Dame Sandra Mason will be sworn in on November 30th which will mark the country’s 55th year of Independence from Britain.

The historical announcement was made by Speaker of the House, Arthur Holder, after all the members except opposing senator, Caswell Franklyn, voted in favour of Dame Mason’s appointment.

The 72-year-old has been a governor-general since 2018 and is the first woman to serve on the Barbados Court of Appeals.

Prime Minister Mia Mottley described the vote as a “seminal moment” for the Caribbean nation.

Plans were announced last year by Dame Mason to “fully leave our colonial past behind.”

She said: “This is the ultimate statement of confidence in who we are and what we are capable of achieving.”

Barbados, known for its advancements in tourism and finance, will be following in the footsteps of other Caribbean countries including Guyana who removed the Queen as their head of state in 1970, followed by Trinidad and Tobago in 1976 and Dominica in 1978.

Jamaica has been heavily considering a move to republicanism since the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) won the majority of votes in 2016 under Prime Minister Andrew Holness.

Barbadians and government officials across the Caribbean have shared messages of support on social media following the declaration.

Jamaican MP Lisa Hanna wrote on Twitter that Dame Mason and Mottley are “boldly leading from the front and taking a giant step for the world to see”.