Canadians Aren't Too Keen On King Charles Or His Coronation, According To A Recent Poll
Is it time to ditch the monarchy?
King Charles leaves the Manitoba Legislative Building after a speech to Provincial Assembly, during his Canadian Royal Tour.
Ahead of King Charles' coronation on May 6, many Canadians are questioning whether it's time for their country to break away from the royal family. New data from the Angus Reid Institute found that more than half of Canadians (52%) don't want the country to continue as a constitutional monarchy.
Queen Elizabeth was well-loved by Canadians, but her successor, King Charles III, has not received the same warmth. Only 28% of the country have a favourable view of the new king. When it comes to swearing an oath to him, singing "God Save the King" at official ceremonies and putting his face on currency, opposition is three times as high (60%).
\u201cAt most, in the wake of Queen Elizabeth II's death last year, half of Canadians supported recognizing Charles as King of Canada. Now, a majority oppose doing so.\n\nhttps://t.co/OUh7ov4oii\u201d— Angus Reid Institute (@Angus Reid Institute) 1682348460
The debate over the title of Charles' wife is also causing controversy in Canada. While Queen Elizabeth wanted Camilla to be known as Queen Consort, 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 and Queen Consort lose out to "she should not be referred to as 'Queen'" (60%).
Canadians have mixed feelings about Prince William and Princess Kate. While they are viewed more favourably than King Charles, their popularity is tied to Canada's continued membership in the monarchy. Among those who want to end the monarchy's rule over Canada, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge receive less positive reviews, with only 36% of people having a favorable view of William and 41% of people having a favorable view of Kate.
\u201cThree-in-five Canadians have some interest in the coming coronation of King Charles, but there are varied levels of excitement for it. One-in-ten Canadians describe it as one of the biggest events of the year.\n\nhttps://t.co/OUh7ov4oii\u201d— Angus Reid Institute (@Angus Reid Institute) 1682341245
However, one thing many Canadians seem to support Caribbean countries severing ties with the monarchy (61%). Following in the footsteps of Barbados, which officially became a republic in 2021, Belize, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, and St. Kitts and Nevis have announced plans to remove the royal family as their head of state.
The Angus Reid Institute conducted the online survey from April 10 to 12, 2023, among 2,013 Canadian adults. Overall, two in five said they don't care about the upcoming coronation, with the rest expressing varying levels of interest.
As Canada's views on the monarchy continue to shift, it remains to be seen what the future holds for the country's relationship with the British royal family.
