Could Canada Be The Next Country To Oust The Royal Family?
The British crown reaches farther than many may realize. In fact, the number of countries Queen Elizabeth II is monarch of is staggering, but some countries are ousting the British royal family to regain their full independence. Take Barbados, for example. The Caribbean nation has been under Elizabeth's rule for seemingly forever, but they recently declared their independence and removed the queen as their figurehead (via NBC News).
The crown held Barbados and continues to hold other countries as commonwealths, meaning they can operate on their own on a day-to-day basis but the queen remains a top figure in their country, per The Commonwealth's website. However, the history of the commonwealth is rooted in imperialism and colonialism, all of which have built up Elizabeth's insanely lavish lifestyle, as well her predecessors' (via Britannica).
Now, many countries want to cut ties with the crown, especially as scandals with royal family members simmer and boil. Could Canada follow Barbados in ousting Elizabeth?
Canada tolerates Elizabeth but may not tolerate Charles
Who becomes king after Queen Elizabeth II dies is currently a large topic of conversation around the world. Elizabeth is 95 years old and thus plans need to be in place in case she were to die, and the crown has a line of succession ready. At the forefront is her son, Charles, the Prince of Wales (via Royal.uk). As it turns out, Canada may not want Charles to preside over them.
According to Yahoo! News, a new study shows that Canada's admiration toward the queen likely begins and ends with Elizabeth. She's the longest-reigning monarch in British history, so most people today won't remember a time when she wasn't on the throne; they're comfortable with her. Change might be harder. In fact, 55% of the survey's respondents said they're okay with staying in the commonwealth with Elizabeth as their leader while the number dropped to 34% for Charles.
This survey comes from the Angus Reid Institute and showcases general attitudes toward the crown. Many people around the world want to move away from monarchies, especially in Britain when the monarchy has been so intricately connected to imperialism and colonialism. However, this change likely won't occur. As Yahoo! News notes, Elizabeth has been prepping Charles for the role, including the Prince of Wales doing more royal tours and even taking on increased philanthropic work.