St. Vincent and the Grenadines was colonized long after most other Caribbean islands due to heavy resistance from the indigenous people of the island.

The islands became part of the British Windward Islands, a British colony, in the late 1700s, and remained as such until a referendum in 1979 which secured its independence from Britain. The New Democratic Party (NDP) formed a majority government with James Mitchell as Prime Minister in1984.

The Queen is the Head of State of St Vincent and the Grenadines whilst the islands elect their own Prime Minister, who runs the Government.