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Rihanna honored Barbados’ Independence Day in an Instagram post on November 30th. Rihanna, who is from Barbados, shared a gallery featuring memories of her family, her pregnancy and festivals while in the country. Her connections to the island range from her role as an ambassador to her ongoing work supporting communities across the Caribbean through the Clara Lionel Foundation.
Rihanna celebrated Barbados’ Independence Day with a heartfelt Instagram post on Sunday. The Fenty Beauty founder shared a merry-go-round photo showcasing her time in her island nation alongside A$AP Rocky and their children. The mother of three, RZA Athelston, 3, Riot Rose, 2, and Rocki Irish Mayers, 2 months, posted throwback pregnancy photos and steamy bikini snaps. She also shared a photo of her bejeweled ensemble at the Crop Over Festival’s Kadooment Parade.
“Congratulations to my homeland, Barbados, on 59 years of independence and 4 years as a republic!” she wrote. “Today also marks the inauguration of our nation’s second President, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Bostic. He, along with our Honorable Prime Minister Mia Mottley, will continue to lead Barbados to excellence!! Barbados IL🇧🇧VE YOU!!!! #Bajan2DeBone.”
The “Diamonds” singer was appointed as an ambassador by the Barbados government in 2018. She was also recognized as a national hero of Barbados in 2021, when Barbados became a republic. Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley praised Rihanna at her investiture ceremony at the time for “capturing the world’s imagination through her pursuit of excellence through creativity, discipline and, above all, an extraordinary dedication to the land of her birth,” The Guardian reported.
Rihanna’s commitment to the island extends to philanthropy as well. In 2012, she established the Clara Lionel Foundation in honor of her grandparents, Clara and Lionel Braithwaite. The organization aims to support communities in the Caribbean, the Southern United States, and East Africa through efforts focused on climate action, arts and culture, women’s entrepreneurship, and access to health.
In an interview with Vogue magazine in April 2022, the beauty mogul, who is still pregnant with her first son, revealed where she would like to raise her ideal family. “Rocky recently asked me where my dream place would be if I had one. I said home, Barbados. I always imagined it would be, but realistically it probably isn’t,” she admitted. However, the couple have traveled to the island with their children, and were photographed on vacation in July 2023 and August 2024.
