Sanders Frith Brown, a Bermudian who calls himself black because he says he is one thirty-second black, said: “The British flag is a symbol in this little piece of England, but we are far too American to be British.

“The monarchy is a figure head and it really means nothing to me. The Queen's face is on our postage stamp and on our money. We sing ‘God save the Queen', but what we really mean is God save us.”

On independence, Mr. Frith Brown said: “The average man walking along the street would not vote for independence. There are only a select few who will.

He added: “In 1995, Sir John Swan resigned after 74.9 percent of the people voted against a referendum for independence.”

Mr. Frith Brown said: “The Progressive Labour Party (PLP) was stoutly pro-independence, but they will not put it on the mandate for the next General Election, because they will lose the election.”

He said: “I told Ewart Brown I would take the entire PLP Party and their spouses out to dinner, if they put independence in their next election mandate.

“But it is a forgone conclusion - statistic sampling showed that Bermudian people did not want independence.

“Independence would cost the tax payer tens of millions of dollars setting up embassies all over the world. And then there is the question of who would represent Bermuda?”

Ira Phillips did not have a lot to say on the monarchy or on independence, but he did say of the PLP: “Our party has been fighting for independence for the last 30 years.

“The PLP's independence issue is extensively muddled and needs to come into clear waters.”

When asked about having another referendum he replied: “We will need to take a strong hand as independence is a matter of a programme of step-by-step education and a survey on the nation to be bought forward.

On the role of the monarchy he said: “The role they will play will be determined in the event of independence.”

Political Scientist Walton Brown said the Queen “is wonderful for the people who are celebrating the symbolic value of the monarchy, for colonial outposts and UK significance.

“The monarchy has one role to play and at times it plays a powerful role of unity, but it is usually a divisive force.

“Some segments which accept and reject it as an anachronism of unity or independence.

“Independence is a significant step forward for Bermuda moving into a position to decide its own political fate.

“However the PLP have not seen fit to make independence an issue of long-term growth and have put the whole issue on the back burner and it requires a great deal of delicacy.”On the question of the new passport Mr. Brown said: “It plays a part of misinformation to travel freely under the current passports and there was no reason for citizenship on our current passports.

“Bermudans could travel visa free through most of Europe on their current passports and had mobility accessing countries.”

Mr. Brown ended with: “At the moment we cannot not speak for ourselves and the new passport or citizenship hasn't altered it one iota.”

In political commentator Rolfe Commissiong's view, the focus that Bermuda had on Britain changed about 50 years ago with the introduction of the US military bases. It began the process and it bought many black people out of abject poverty, he said. “The black population were poor, but not starving because families had plots of land where they grew food and kept livestock.”

“The monarchy does not hold the relevance of what it used to hold here in Bermuda,” said Mr. Commissiong.

He said: “Even for white Bermudians of British decent there is a decline and distance to the Queen in general - a decline in allegiance where in the past it would've played a more central role.”

“The US and Caribbean links are closer to our country,” he said.

“We are British in name only and an Overseas Territory is essentially a colony still. The British flag still flies here, but Bermuda is not a colony that you would call British.”

Mr. Commissiong said: “Black Bermudians, will not be so interested in British passports, it will be more white Bermudians with British parents who are interested.”

“I am not convinced that Premier Jennifer Smith has independence in mind, as all indications show otherwise - one is to think that is the case in the party at large, “said Mr. Commissiong.

After independence it will be a question of whether citizenship will be retained. He said: “I see independence in five to seven years.”

The current law states Bermudians have the right to travel, live, work and study in Britain and in the EC member countries, but Mr. Commissiong asked if a chef wanted to come to the Island and work and wasn't given the right, could he take Bermuda to the European Courts?

On the streets, Billy Phillips, 38, of Hamilton Parish said: “The Queen doesn't do anything for me, we can do away with the Governor as well and put a Bermudian up there, he is a waste of tax payers dollars.”

As for independence, Mr. Phillips felt: “If it isn't broken why fix it.” We basically run our own country, there are no changes that are needed that we can't already make.

Gerald Simons, 60 of Warwick said: “Whether we like it or not we are self sufficient. ‘Why are we holding onto Britain?' and ‘What are we afraid of?' “Bermuda is one of the most well off places in the world.”

Mr. Simons added: “I guess, the monarchy is a figurehead and it is territorial.”

Ronnie Tacklin of City of Hamilton said: “I would have to hear the pros and cons of independence before I make up my mind.

“My concern for independence would be ‘who would protect us?' “And do we need a military force of our own and how much will it cost.”

He said: “As for the Queen, she has been there for most of my life and I have no problems with it.”