Will Canadians Be Over The Monarchy Once Prince Charles Takes Control?
The number of countries of which Queen Elizabeth is the monarch might surprise you. That changed in late November, when the island of Barbados declared that it was removing the queen as head of state following nearly 400 years of colonial rule.
Barbados was one of 16 nations ruled over by the longstanding monarch, and their step toward independence may inspire other Commonwealth nations to follow suit. In addition to Barbados, Queen Elizabeth's Commonwealth consists of 15 realms, in addition to the U.K., including Canada, Australia, Jamaica, and New Zealand (via Royal UK).
Canada might be moving toward the side of Barbados, in terms of remaining under monarchy rule moving forward. A recent poll conducted by the Angus Reid Institute suggests that Canadians will be over the monarchy once Prince Charles takes control following the death of Queen Elizabeth (via Yahoo! News). According to the study, approximately 55% of Canadians support their place under the monarchy while the current queen is ruling. That number drops down to 34% when Canadians were asked if they would wish to remain part of the monarchy under Prince Charles' future rule (per The Angus Reid Institute).
Why will Canadians be less interested in the monarchy should Prince Charles take the throne? Historian Carolyn Harris shed some light on the situation.
Canadians have a stronger connection to the queen than the monarchy itself
"There's a period of transition underway but it can be very difficult to imagine anyone else in that role because Queen Elizabeth II is widely respected as an elder stateswoman for her decades of public service," said Harris. "Even people who don't necessarily favor constitutional monarchy as a system of government, still admire Queen Elizabeth II personally," Harris said (via Yahoo! News). Considering that Queen Elizabeth has been a ruling monarch for almost 70 years, it makes sense that people have grown to respect and trust her to this degree of personal dedication.
This sentiment was echoed throughout the Angus Reid Institute's poll regarding the matter, as Canadians indicated that they have a stronger connection to Queen Elizabeth personally than they do to the monarchy as an institution. Approximately 56% of Canadians stated they will feel sad when Queen Elizabeth dies, which may help explain why they wouldn't feel a continued sense of loyalty to the throne should Prince Charles become king.