Queen Elizabeth could be removed as St. Vincent and the Grenadines head of state

St. Vincent and the Grenadines, after Barbados, could become the latest Caribbean Commonwealth country to remove Queen Elizabeth as their head of state.

Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves has proposed a national referendum asking people if the Queen should be replaced with a locally appointed "executive president."

Addressing the parliament on Thursday, he said that the referendum would be an opportunity for the country to "complete the national democratic task."

In his address, Dr. Gonsalves said, "I will tell you this. I am prepared, if the opposition agrees today, before the end of the year or early next year to put one question in a referendum: to have a home-grown president in the manner in which I've just described, a non-executive president, and as was laid out in the proposed constitution..."

This is not the first time that Gonsalves has proposed a referendum on the issue. He had tried to bring in similar reforms in 2009 as well. But the referendum received only 43 percent of supporters, and Queen Elizabeth continued to be the head of state.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a southern Caribbean nation comprising a chain of islands. It has been one of the most preferred travel destinations for the members of the royal family. Princess Margaret had even said it was "the only place she could relax."

Last year, Barbados removed Queen Elizabeth II as the head of state. Dame Sandra Mason replaced the monarch and became the first president of the island nation, writes The Mirror.

There are 15 countries that recognise Queen Elizabeth as the head of state and are part of the Commonwealth. These countries include the United Kingdom, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Lucia, the Solomon Islands, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Tuvalu.

Of the countries where the Queen still remains the head of the state, Jamaica has indicated that it wants to follow in Barbados' footsteps and remove the queen as head of state.

Prince William and Kate Middleton's recent visit to Jamaica was met with demonstrations by protestors demanding the monarchy to apologise for its role in the slave trade.