As Barbados celebrates becoming a republic after removing Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state, they declared Rihanna as a national hero.
Robyn Rihanna Fenty was born in Saint Michael in Barbados and grew up in Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados. And as a teenager, she moved to the United States to pursue a career in music.
Rihanna is honoured at the political transition ceremony
The Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, announced that the 33-year-old Barbadian musician and entrepreneur is honoured as a National Hero of Barbados during a ceremony held overnight on Monday.
“May you continue to shine like a diamond and bring honour to your nation by your works, by your actions.”
Mottley said the artist had commanded, “the imagination of the world through the pursuit of excellence with her creativity, her discipline, and above all else, her extraordinary commitment to the land of her birth”.
Rihanna is the 11th Barbadian to have been honoured as a national hero.
This is not the singer’s first honour from her home country
In 2018, she was also named “Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary” for Barbados. This role involves promoting education, tourism and investment on the Caribbean island.
And in 2017, a street in Barbados where she used to live was renamed “Rihanna Drive” in her honour.