Barbados stopped pledging allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II early Tuesday as it shed another vestige of its colonial past and became a republic for the first time in history. Several leaders and dignitaries, including Prince Charles, attended the ceremony in a popular square where the statue of a well-known British lord was removed last year amid a worldwide push to erase symbols of oppression. Fireworks peppered the sky at midnight as Barbados officially became a republic, with screens set up across the island so people could watch the event. It was also broadcast online, prompting a flurry of excited messages from Bajans living in the U.S., Canada and beyond. As part of the ceremony, Barbados' Prime Minister Mia Mottley named singer and entrepreneur Rihanna a national hero. "May you continue to shine like a diamond," Mottley said to Rihanna as a reference to her 2012 No. 1 hit, "Diamonds." 📸 Jonathan Brady, Jeff J. Mitchell, Pool, @gettyimages #barbados #queenelizabeth #rihanna #princecharles