Barbados moves towards becoming a republic

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Y’all are gonna regret not taking this more seriously when the Barbados Empire takes over half the US under the leadership of soon to be dictator Rihanna.

Apparently as part of the republicanization festivities they actually did give her a decoration called "Order of National Heroes", of which she's now one of only two living members along with cricketer Garfield Sobers.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

So, what does it mean that Barbados will remain a part of the Commonwealth?

Not a ton. It means that it'll have the same status as places like India and Kenya. The Queen or a future British monarch will have a certain extra diplomatic cachet if/when he or she visits there, but that's about it.

The only major former British colonies that aren't Commonwealth members are the US and Ireland, which of course both parted ways with the UK in unusually dramatic and violent ways.