Barbados has two victories to celebrate.
It’s now a republic for the first time in history, and Rihanna is now the country’s 11th National Hero.
A ceremony was held Monday by the nation’s Prime Minister Mia Mottley.
“Ambassador Robyn Rihanna Fenty has given service to Barbados, which has been exemplified by visionary and pioneering leadership,” Prime Minister Mottley said during the Monday night ceremony.
Rihanna was honored Tuesday in a separate ceremony where she was honored with a medal covered with Barbados’ outline.
“This is a day that I will never, ever forget. It’s also a day that I never saw coming,” she said in a brief speech in which she encouraged the youth to continue pushing Barbados forward. “I have traveled the world and received several awards and recognitions, but nothing, nothing compares to being recognized in the soil that you grew in.”
