Time Come? Caribbean Decolonization and the Monarchy

In 2021, Barbados became a republic. It was the first independent Caribbean country to make the transition from monarchy to republic since Trinidad and Tobago in 1976 (Dominica had become independent as a republic in 1978). Despite expectations that the example of Barbados might lead to other Caribbean countries making a similar constitutional journey, none has yet followed and there remain eight so-called ‘Commonwealth Realms’ in the region which retain King Charles III as their sovereign. Why have Caribbean countries been so slow to adopt republican constitutions? Why did most of them become independent Commonwealth Realms in the first place and what are the political and symbolic implications of retaining that status? And what developments are we likely to witness in the next few years? Philip Murphy, author of Monarchy and the End of Empire (2013), will seek to shed light on all these questions in his lecture.

Professor Philip Murphy is Director of History & Policy. He is a Professor of British and Commonwealth History at the University of London and also joint editor of the Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History. Philip joined the School of Advanced Study in 2009 as Director of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies.  Philip is the Principal Investigator on the The Windrush Scandal in a Transnational and Commonwealth Context project. He teaches on the MA in History, Place & Community, for which he convenes the Place & Policy module.

All welcome

This event is free to attend, but booking is required.