Explainer-in-brief: Commonwealth countries looking for freedom
The end of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign is a momentous event not only for the UK but for the Commonwealth as a whole. Some of these countries have been thinking about independence for some time, and might find the near future is just the right moment to make that decision.
Gaston Browne, the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, specified last weekend that his plan for a referendum on independence was “not an act of hostility” but a much-needed last step to ensure his nation becomes a fully sovereign one. Jamaica is also on the list, with its president last year saying “there is no question that Jamaica will become a republic”. Saint Vincent could follow suit.
The Bahamas, Grenada and Belize are weighing up whether the political conditions at home mean their countries are ripe for a vote.
The Queen was a unifying symbol for the Commonwealth; the King might not prove as much.