Rihanna Has Been Declared A National Hero By Officials In Her Home Country Of Barbados.
During the country's first event as a republic, following a ceremony where Queen Elizabeth II was removed as the head of state, the 33-year-old Fenty founder was given the title of National Hero.
The singer received the honour at the country's first-ever Presidential Inauguration Ceremony, where Dame Sandra Mason became the island's leader.
Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who led the effort for Barbados to become a republic, bestowed the singer with the prize, and in a speech, referenced her 2012 song Diamonds.
"Above all else, commanding 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," Mottley said of the singer. "May you continue to shine like a diamond and bring honour to your nation by your works, by your actions."
Elsewhere, Prince Charles attended the ceremony to recognise the country's transition out of the Commonwealth.
"The creation of this republic offers a new beginning," he said during the event. "From the darkest days of our past and the appalling atrocity of slavery which forever stains our history, people of this island forged their path with extraordinary fortitude."
