Barbados' Head of State: President Sandra Mason

From Monarchy to Republic

On November 30, 2021, Barbados transitioned from a constitutional monarchy (with Queen Elizabeth II as head of state) to a parliamentary republic.

First President

Dame Sandra Prunella Mason, previously the last Governor-General, was elected by Parliament on October 12, 2021 and sworn in as the first President of Barbados on Independence Day, November 30, 2021.

Role and Significance

• The President is the ceremonial head of state; executive power remains with the Prime Minister (currently Mia Mottley) and Cabinet.
• The move completed a decades-long national conversation on sovereignty and post-colonial identity.
• Barbados remains a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.