Rihanna made national hero as Barbados becomes a republic

Rihanna attends the Presidential Ceremony in Heroes Square, Bridgetown, Barbados (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Singer and entrepreneur Rihanna has been awarded a national honour from her homeland Barbados as the Caribbean country celebrated becoming a republic.

Rihanna, who grew up in the island nation, witnessed the historic ceremony that broke Barbados’s centuries-old ties with the British monarchy and swore in its first president Sandra Mason, ending Queen Elizabeth’s role as head of state.