Queen Elizabeth is set to be removed as Barbados' head of state, and a royal expert warns that other countries will follow.
The Queen is currently the monarch of 16 nations, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
Among the 15 member states of CARICOM, nine have the Queen as their head of state.
But now that Barbados has announced its plans to remove the Queen as head of state by next year, others are tipped to follow suit.
Jamaica is thought to be next, according to royal expert Charlie Proctor.
He wrote on Twitter, "Big news. Now Barbados has played their cards, other CARICOM countries will follow.
"Jamaica will be next. Both main parties favour a Republic."
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Barbados made its shocking announcement yesterday.
Dame Sandra Mason, Governor-General of Barbados, read a speech written by the country's Prime Minister, Mia Mottley.
The speech voiced how the country desires to become a republic by its 55th anniversary of independence from the UK.
Dame Sandra said: “The time has come to fully leave our colonial past behind.
"Barbadians want a Barbadian Head of State.
“This is the ultimate statement of confidence in who we are and what we are capable of achieving.
“Barbados will take the next logical step toward full sovereignty and become a Republic by the time we celebrate our 55th Anniversary of Independence.”
The Caribbean country became independent in 1966, but the Queen remained its constitutional monarch.
Barbados would be the first country to remove the Queen as head of state since 1992, when Mauritius became a republic.
Robyn is a celebrity and entertainment journalist and editor with over eight years experience in the industry. As well as contributing regular to woman&home, she also often writes for Woman, Woman's Own, Woman's Weekly and The Sun.
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