Barbados has elected Sandra Mason to be its first president, eliminating Queen Elizabeth as the country's head of state as it prepares to become a republic, according to BBC.
Dame Sandra Mason, 72, will be sworn in on November 30, the country's 55th anniversary of independence from the United Kingdom.
Mason has been governor-general of Barbados since 2018. She was the first woman to serve on the Barbados Court of Appeals.
Last year, the government stated its intention to become a republic.
It stated that the moment had come for Barbados to completely abandon its colonial heritage. A constitutional review in 1998 had already suggested the modification.
After a joint session of the House of Assembly and the Senate on Wednesday, the historic election took place. The vote, Prime Minister Mia Mottley said, was a "seminal moment" for the country.
Barbados is one of the most populous and rich Caribbean islands, with a population of around 285,000 people. Its economy, which was once primarily reliant on sugar exports, has since persified into tourism and banking.
Barbados will not be the Caribbean's first former British colony to become a republic. Guyana made this step in 1970, only four years after winning independence from the United Kingdom. In 1976, Trinidad and Tobago followed suit, and Dominica did so in 1978.
Jamaica has previously stated that it may consider the change as well.
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