Granada has officially eliminated the oath of loyalty to King Carlos III, marking a symbolic change of the British monarchy and intensifying calls to a similar action in the Commonwealth.
According to a constitutional amendment that entered into force on August 1, coinciding with the celebrations of the Emancipation Day, state officials will now swear loyalty to Granada instead of “His Majesty King Charles the third, his heirs and successors.”
The change applies to the general governor, members of Parliament, ministers and certain new citizens.
Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell has previously expressed the hope of transitioning Granada into a republic, eliminating the British monarch as head of state.
The measure is aligned with the growing republican feeling in several Caribbean nations, many of which reassess their constitutional ties with the crown.
The Republic of Anti-Monarchy group based in the United Kingdom welcomed the change, with its Twitter identifier saying: “It is time for Great Britain doing the same.”
The group has campaigned for a long time for the abolition of the monarchy in the United Kingdom.
Granada’s decision is produced in the midst of broader discussions in the kingdoms of the Commonwealth, including Australia, Canada, Jamaica and Belize, about the replacement of King Charles as head of state.
