Barbados has declared Rihanna a national hero after removing Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state and entering a new era as a republic.
Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced that the 33-year-old Barbadian musician and entrepreneur would be conferred with the honour of National Hero of Barbados during a ceremony held overnight on Monday in the capital, Bridgetown, to mark the political transition.
Rihanna, a billionaire according to Forbes, was called up before the crowds to be congratulated by Mottley, the leader of Barbados’s republican movement.
Mottley prayed she may continue to shine like a diamond and bring honour to her nation by her works, by her actions.
Mottley said the artist had commanded the imagination of the world through the pursuit of excellence with her creativity, her discipline, and above all else, her extraordinary commitment to the land of her birth.
Rihanna, whose full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, was born in Saint Michael in Barbados and grew up in Bridgetown before moving to the United States as a teenager to pursue a career in music.
She has since become one of the best-selling artists of all time, winning top industry awards along the way, and branched out to create cosmetic and clothing businesses in recent years.
In 2018, she was named as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary for Barbados, a role that involves promoting education, tourism and investment on the Caribbean island, which is home to nearly 300,000 people.
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