Barbados is waking up with a new sense of independence after it became an official republic Monday night.  

After nearly 400 years under British control, Queen Elizabeth II was removed as the head of the Caribbean nation, according to NBC News.  

The celebration of the republic’s separation from the United Kingdom came exactly 55 years after Barbados gained full independence but decided to stay under British rule.  

At midnight, residents celebrated with a 21-gun salute, fireworks, dancing and the playing of the Barbadian national anthem. Rihanna, a Barbadian native, was declared a national hero by Prime Minister Mia Mottley.  

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Sandra Mason, who served as the queen’s representative, was sworn in as the first president. The 72-year-old was the first woman to serve on the Barbados Court of Appeals and was the governor general since 2018, according to BBC.  

Prince Charles was in attendance for the republic’s celebration. In his speech, he said Barbados’ new independence “offers a new beginning,” and his mother, the Queen, sent her “warmest good wishes.”  

“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,” Prince Charles said.  

Once known for its sugar exports, Barbados has now strengthened its economy through tourism. The nation has followed the lead of Guyana, which gained independence from Britain in 1970, Trinidad and Tobago, which became free in 1976 and Dominica, which gained independence in 1978.