AT Elizabeth’s death at Balmoralin Scotland, many saw more than mere affection for the country the queen had loved so much throughout her life. For some, it was almost an extreme attempt to reiterate the importance of unity, which now, under the new king Charles III, is in danger of failing due to independent forces that are increasingly pushing for separation from the United Kingdom., especially after Brexit, which was vehemently opposed by the Highlands. It seems irreverent to talk about it now, but it is clear that the ceremony of transferring the coffin of the sovereign to St. Giles’s Cathedral in Edinburgh was also a political test to test the population’s attachment to the monarchy. As is actually known current government chaired by Nicola Sturgeonprime minister and leader of the Scottish National Party, also elected in 2021 promise to hold a new referendum on independence from the UK. It remains to be seen whether British Prime Minister Liz Truss will agree, as David Cameron did in his time.
However, Scotland is not the only country that threatens to declare its independence.. Of the 32 nations that the Queen ruled over as she collected the ashes of empire at sunset, 17 have seceded from the British monarchy over the years, the latest of which is the island nation of Barbados, which declared itself a republic in the 2021 election of President Dame Sandra Prunella Mason. Following this example, there are other countries that are now could declare their independence from Jamaica. It is no secret that during the visit of the then Dukes of Cambridge, Prime Minister Andrew Holness confirmed the country’s desire for independence from the monarchy. The same government has said that the British crown will be removed from office by 2025. However, as always, the decision depends both on the parliamentary vote and on the direct vote of the population. This is why royal tours are of strategic importance to the Windsors. These are the only real opportunities to meet with locals who are being persuaded to decide to remain part of the extended family of the British monarchy.
In addition to Jamaica, there are five other Caribbean countries that wink at the Republic: Belize (where in fact the visit of William and Kate was not particularly successful), Bahamas, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Kitt and Nevis. And last but not least: Australia, which has been talking about wanting to leave the British crown for several years. In 1999, the text of the referendum suggested becoming a republic and replacing the queen with the president, but the popularity of the sovereign and the monarchical institution at that time was so strong that the idea was rejected. Seven years later, in 2006, then Australian Prime Minister John Howard stated: “I don’t think Australia will become a republic as long as there is a queen on the throne. But then, who knows. In this complex panorama Karl’s recipe for reducing the monarchy, cutting off side genealogical branches and in a way a bourgeois royal family, exemplified by what happened in the Scandinavian countries, might be the only solution to keep the thousand-year-old institution alive.
Source: Elle