Rihanna Named National Hero Of Barbados: ‘May You Continue To Shine Like A Diamond’

Rihanna has been declared a national hero of Barbados.

For a lot of us, we already felt Rih was a hero. But now, it’s official as the country just held a ceremony to honor her and dub her as the country’s newest national hero. “May you continue to shine like a diamond,” said prime minister Mia Mottley at the ceremony, referring to the multifaceted businesswoman’s hit song “Diamonds.”

She went on to say that Rih has demonstrated “the imagination of the world through the pursuit of excellence with her creativity, her discipline, and above all else, her extraordinary commitment to the land of her birth.” She continued: “On behalf of a grateful nation, but an even prouder people, we therefore present to you the designee for national hero of Barbados, Ambassador Robyn Rihanna Fenty.”

Rih, who was born in Saint Michael and raised in the capital, Bridgetown, has always dedicated her time and resources to her country. Back in 2018, Rih was appointed as the official ambassador for culture and youth, The Guardian reports.

Rih is now the second woman and the 11th person to be declared a national hero of Barbados. The Grammy award-winning artist and business mogul billionaire stepped away from music temporarily to create what is now one of the biggest cosmetics companies, Fenty Beauty. According to Time, she also launched her mega-successful lingerie and sleepwear line, Savage x Fenty; its sales grew by more than 200 percent in 2020.