Source: Angus Reid
As King Charles prepares to have his title formalized at the May 6th coronation – expected to be a toned-down affair as Charles “is very aware of the struggles felt by modern Britons” – many Canadians wonder if it’s time to split from the monarchy.
New data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds half (52%) of Canadians do not want their country to continue as a constitutional monarchy for generations to come, nearly all (88%) of whom believe it’s worth opening the constitutional can of worms to sever the country’s royal roots.
Charles’ mother Queen Elizabeth II would have turned 97 last week. Canada’s affection for the longest-serving British monarch in history was well documented. While her role as Canada’s head of state passed down to King Charles, Canadians’ warmth to Elizabeth did not. Three-in-ten (28%) Canadians say they have a favourable view of their new King; half (48%) do not. In fact, a majority (60%) oppose recognizing Charles as King and all that entails. And when this recognition is broken down to is individual elements – swearing an oath to him and singing “God Save the King” at official ceremonies”, putting his face on currency – opposition is even higher. Overall, a majority of Canadians (52%) believe Charles will be a worse monarch than Elizabeth.
There has been debate in England as to what to call Charles’ wife Camilla. Last year, Queen Elizabeth said it was her “sincere wish” for Camilla to be known as Queen Consort. However, the palace wants to drop the “Consort,” referring to her only as Queen Camilla on invitations to the coronation. In Canada, both the titles of Queen (21%) and Queen Consort (19%) lose out to “she should not be referred to as ‘Queen’” (60%). This comes as two-third (66%) say they oppose Canada recognizing Camilla as queen of their country.
The couple next-in-line to the throne, William and Kate, are viewed more favourably by Canadians, but the positivity is flowing from those who believe Canada should continue as a constitutional monarchy. Four-in-five in that group have positive impressions of Prince William and Princess Kate. Those who want to see an end to the royals’ rule over Canada are more negative (William, 36% favourable; Kate, 41%).
Survey Methodology:
The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from April 10-12, 2023 among a representative randomized sample of 2,013 Canadian adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding. The survey was self-commissioned and paid for by ARI.
