Majority Of Canadians Back Cutting Ties With Monarchy - Poll

Majority of Canadians Back Cutting Ties With Monarchy - Poll

A majority of Canadians back abolishing the monarchy in their country and support countries that have already chosen to do so, a new Angus Reid Institute poll revealed on Thursday

TORONTO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st April, 2022) A majority of Canadians back abolishing the monarchy in their country and support countries that have already chosen to do so, a new Angus Reid Institute poll revealed on Thursday.

The poll coincides with the 96th birthday of the British Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, and comes at a time when current and former Commonwealth states, including Canada, engage in difficult conversations about the Crown's colonial legacy.

"The public are divided about what should replace the constitutional monarchy, but just half (51%) now say that they oppose continuing on in this way for coming generations, a two-to-one margin over those who say the nation should continue with the Royals," the report read.

Furthermore, most Canadians - 58% - support the decision of states, such as Pakistan, Malta and more recently Barbados and Jamaica, to cut ties with British monarchy.

The poll results underscore the declining influence of the monarchy in Canada, with the majority of respondents saying the royal family is "no longer relevant at all" and most indicating that the Crown reflects "outdated values."

Queen Elizabeth II remains the most popular member of the royal family, with Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, and Prince Andrew, who found himself at the heart of the Jeffrey Epstein sex scandal, being viewed unfavorably by an overwhelming number of respondents.

Abolishing the monarchy would be a difficult task, as the Canadian constitution requires unanimous consent in the House of Commons, the Senate and each of the provincial legislatures. An overwhelming majority of Canadians, who back a split with the crown, expressed support for efforts to change the constitution, despite the associated challenges.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last year that the present is not the right moment to engage in discussions about initiating constitutional change in Canada and severing ties with the British royal family, despite acknowledging that entire institutions in Canada are the byproduct of colonial, discriminatory and systemically racist past.