As Queen Elizabeth celebrated her 96th birthday, a new survey asked Canadians how they felt about the Royal Family, how relevant is it, and whether Canadians should follow the example of Barbados and go its own way.
It found most Canadians support nations closing the book on the British Monarchy, and the movement for Canada to sever ties is growing.
Eight years ago, Angus Reid asked Canadian respondents if Canada should continue as a constitutional monarchy. Only four out of ten said yes, and just about the same number said no. The rest just weren’t sure.
This past week, only 26 per cent believed Canada should maintain ties, while 51 per cent said no. Those in Quebec were most likely to favour a change, while Alberta residents were the most likely to support the status quo at just 33 per cent.
It’s a relatively significant shift in a short period of time.
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Removing the British Monarch has head of state wouldn’t be easy. It would mean opening the Canadian Constitution, possibly opening up the document to other changes. Of those who say Canada should sever ties, only eight per cent say it’s not worth it.
It’s not that Canadians don’t like Queen Elizabeth. Of all the members of the Royal Family, she’s the most popular. Fifty-nine per cent confess they’ll be sad when she dies, and 63 per cent like her. She’s even more popular than Prince William, with 60 per cent of Canadian support.
Support for the rest of the family isn’t so rosy.
Only 34 per cent think Prince Charles should be the head of state when the Queen passes. Support for the next in line to the British Throne is only viewed favourably by 29 per cent of respondents. Even after his ties to Jeffrey Epstein and allegations of sexual assault, 13 per cent still favour Prince Andrew.
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Almost half of Canadians say the Royal Family represents outdated values.
Angus Reid surveyed 1,607 members of its Angus Reid Forum between April 5 and 7. The survey carries a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
