So, while the government says it gave the Cambridge's no treatment that would not be afforded to any head of state or government - but, what if, Belize simply removed the Queen as the Head of State? First, it would not require a referendum, only a two-third's vote in the House, which the government side has support for, and second, it would not necessarily mean leaving the commonwealth.
Noted reformer Dylan Vernon notes that "of the 54 countries that are members of the Commonwealth, a full 39 do not have the Queen as head of state and these still participate fully in Commonwealth programmes and most maintain cordial bilateral relations with the UK."
So, what's the big deal with keeping Queen Betty as our Head of State? We asked the Prime Minster that today and he was decidedly undecided:
Reporter
"Is that something that your government has even considered and if yes, any views on it?"
Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"I don't know if there has been a big push. I think a lot of people has seen what has happened in Barbados. Basically, what Barbados has done is just to change the head of state to a president that has the same function. It has not been a real deep fundamental change that has happened. About 2 weeks ago in cabinet we agreed to setting up the people consultation commission and that will be working for at leat a year of consultations and we want to hear what the views are our citizens. We have our own personal views and yes in many instances we believe that whilst there are certain things that we are grateful for the UK for what they did for us here in Belize. Time, things change, we move on and probably it is something that it is time for us to take a closer look at the governance - how we can deepen democracy, that is what this whole interaction is going to be. We need to find where people can truly feel that they are the real owners of what happens in their country."
And for royalists, one good reason to keep the Queen around is those Queen's Honours. Later on, we'll show you when the Governor General became Adam of the Grand Cross at the hands of the future King.
