Canada’s support for the monarchy is waning and may reach new lows in the era after Queen Elizabeth II, a new study has found.
A survey published Thursday by the Angus Reed Institute found that 51% of respondents are in favor of abolishing the monarchy in future generations, while 24% of respondents are unsure.
Those in Quebec (71 percent) and Saskatchewan (59 percent) would most likely call for the abolition of the monarchy, while the rest of the country was moving about 45 percent in favor of abandoning the royal family.
In addition, 49 percent of respondents believe that the royal family is obsolete, and 50 percent say that the royal family “no longer matters at all” to them.
Canada’s support for the head of state falls even more in the event of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, as 65% of respondents oppose the recognition of Prince Charles as King and official head of state of Canada, while 76% of respondents oppose the recognition of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, as queen.
Elizabeth said she wanted Camilla to be called “queen” one day.
The queen celebrated her 96th birthday on Thursday and has been on the throne for 70 years.
Since October, Elizabeth has been battling COVID-19, visiting the hospital for an unspecified illness and joking publicly that she can no longer move much.
Overall, 63% of respondents had a favorable opinion of the queen, and 58% would feel sad when she died.
SUPPORT FOR OTHER COUNTRIES COMING OUT OF THE MONARCHY
It seems that more and more countries also want to move away from the monarchy.
Barbados officially abandoned the monarchy in November 2021, and Jamaica followed suit in March when Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced during a visit to Prince William and Kate that she also wanted independence.
Nearly 60 percent of Canadians believe that countries that choose to leave the monarchy are on the right track, while only eight percent believe it is a mistake.
In 2019, the Monarchical League of Canada, which describes itself as “Canada’s main organization at the forefront of promoting, educating and defending the Canadian crown,” found that Canadians paid $ 58.7 million in taxes on the crown, almost six percent reduction compared to the 2016 survey.
With files from the Associated Press
METHODOLOGY
The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from April 5 to 7, 2022, among a representative randomized sample of 1,607 adult Canadians who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this amount will have a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Discrepancies in or between the amounts are due to rounding. The study was commissioned and paid for by ARI.
Add Comment