Rihanna Receives Major Honor From Barbados Amid Country's Departure From Queen Elizabeth
Rihanna might have a shelf-full of Grammys and other awards in her collection, but her latest honor overshadows all of that. On Monday, as Barbados formally cut ties with the U.K. to become the newest republic in the world, her native country named the "Diamonds" singer a national hero. Rihanna, who will now be addressed as the Right Honourable Rihanna, received the honor as Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced Queen Elizabeth II will no longer be the country's Head of State.
The 33-year-old singer accepted the honor in person in Bridgetown, the Barbadian capital and largest city. "On behalf of a grateful nation, but an even prouder people, we therefore present to you, the designee, for national hero of Barbados, ambassador Robyn Rihanna Fenty," Mottley told Rihanna, reports PEOPLE. "May you continue to shine like a diamond and continue to bring honor to your nation by your words, by your actions, and to do credit wherever you shall go."
The historic ceremony on Monday also included an emotional speech from Prince Charles, who was praised for denouncing the "atrocity of slavery" before swearing in Barbados' first president. It was the first time a senior member of the royal family attended a ceremony marking the transition of a realm to a republic, reports PEOPLE. Barbados plans to stay a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, a group of nations connected to the U.K, but no longer have legal obligations to one another. Sandra Mason, who previously served as the Governor-General of Barbados, became the country's first President.
"From the darkest days of our past, and the appalling atrocity of slavery, which forever stains our history, the people of this island forged their path with extraordinary fortitude," Charles said. "Emancipation, self-government and independence were your way-points. Freedom, justice and self-determination have been your guides. Your long journey has brought you to this moment, not as your destination, but as a vantage point from which to survey a new horizon."
Rihanna was born Robyn Rihanna Fenty in Barbados in 1988. In August, Forbes estimated that Rihanna's net worth reached $1.7 billion, thanks to the success of Fenty Beauty, which launched in 2017, and the lingerie line Savage x Fenty. She has not released a new album since 2016's Anti, but promised in March that she is working on new music when she marked Anti's fifth year on the Billboard 200 chart. Rihanna also confirmed this year that she is dating rapper A$AP Rocky.