It’s time for Caribbean nations to ditch the queen as head of state. At this point, they don’t need her | Opinion

I’m more convinced than ever now that The Crown has no place in The Caribbean. Not even Netflix can change that.

Like millions during this godforsaken pandemic, I’ve watched enough of the streaming service to make me wonder if I miss “Derry Girls” more than I do my own grown children. And I’ve slurped the four seasons of “The Crown” like so many bottles of Cabernet — or claret, as the Brits would say.

A big caveat about “The Crown” is that its story lines require as much fact-checking as a Donald Trump tweet. But one twist the writers didn’t fabricate was Queen Elizabeth II’s solidarity with the British Commonwealth countries — many of which she reigns over and most of whose leaders are Black or non-White — to help end apartheid in South Africa.

So kudos to the queen. And I took that into account as I pondered the accusations of racism that’ve been added to the royal family’s haunted house of dysfunction after Harry and Meghan’s interview with Oprah this week.

Still, I have to say this about the royal couple’s very believable charge that Buckingham Palace was wringing its silk-gloved hands over the hue of their mixed-race child: it’s only strengthened my belief that Commonwealth countries that still recognize Her Highness as their head of state — at least the 10 in the Western Hemisphere — should ditch her.

To read Tim Padgett’s entire column, click here.

Tim Padgett is the Americas editor for Miami NPR affiliate WLRN, covering Latin America, the Caribbean and their key relationship with South Florida.