Queen Elizabeth the second - her formal title is: "Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Belize" - and now that she has died emotions about her passing will range greatly. But, in more concrete terms, Belize - and the 13 other Commonwealth countries for whom she is the head of state - now have to confront some significant changes.
First, the name "Her Majesty" appears at least 12 times in the constitution of Belize. But, a leading British newspaper, the UK Guardian says of these Commonwealth countries, quote, "In many cases their constitutions state that the Queen, specifically, is the head of state. In these countries, constitutions will need to be amended to refer to her successor. In countries such as Jamaica…and Belize, these constitutional changes will also require a referendum, according to Commonwealth experts."
Well, the local experts we spoke to disagree; they say changing "Her Majesty" to "His Majesty" - should be pretty straightforward - requiring only a two thirds majority in the house - not a referendum. We expect there will be more clarity on this in the days ahead - and we also reached out to the Prime Minister for comment - but he only just returned from Chetumal this afternoon where he signed two memorandums of understanding.
And then the matter of whose face will appear on the Belizean dollar bills is another issue altogether. Currently there are over half a million notes and coins in circulation - and all of them - every single one, carries the queen's image. Will it change? Should it change? Those are weighty matters which - according to the Central Bank of Belize act - "shall be determined by the bank with the approval of the Minister (of Finance.)"
And while the Prime Minister will have to deliberate whether Belize will keep the deceased queen as the figurehead on our currency, or go for her successor Charles, or scrap the monarchy altogether and replace their faces with nationalists such as George Price and Phillip Goldson...here's the thin slice advice from the streets:
And while the memes were flying fast and furious today with a whole host of possible Queen Betty replacements, according to a local currency expert, money printers strongly advise Central Banks to use someone of age on currency notes, and they also advise that it is even better to have someone who has passed. So, for the time being, the status quo is fine, since the Queen has passed at an advanced age and meets the major requirements for a credible currency figurehead.
