Most Canadians Indifferent to Monarchy and Royal Wedding

The share of Canadians who want the country to remain a monarchy in the future has dropped significantly, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,016 Canadians, one-in-five respondents (21%) want Canada to remain a monarchy, down 15 points since an Angus Reid Public Opinion survey conducted in July, following the Queen’s visit to Canada.Significantly larger proportions of respondents would prefer for Canada to have an elected head of state (32%, +2) or are simply uninterested in the matter (29%, +8).

Three-in-five respondents (64%) would like to see a Canadian serve as the nation’s head of state, although only half of respondents (49%) are in favour of reopening Canada’s constitutional debate to discuss the possibility of replacing the monarch with an elected head of state.

The Royals

Prince William has surpassed his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, in popularity with the Canadian public. This month, 60 per cent of respondents hold a favourable opinion of Prince William, while 56 per cent feel the same way about the current monarch. Her husband, Prince Philip, is liked by only two-in-five respondents (40%). Half of Canadians (51%) have a positive opinion of Prince Harry. Kate Middleton, Prince William’s fiancée, is viewed favourably by 43 per cent of Canadians. Prince Charles (30%) and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (18%), are the least liked members of the Royal Family.

After Queen Elizabeth II

When asked who they would like to have as monarch in the event Queen Elizabeth II dies or abdicates, Canadians select Prince William over Prince Charles by more than a 2-to-1 margin (33% to 14%). However, a more than a third of Canadians (35%) think there should be no monarch after Queen Elizabeth II.

Canadians are not unique in their preference for the second-in-line to ascend the throne. A survey conducted by Angus Reid Public Opinion in November showed that almost half of Britons (48%) would prefer to have Prince William as King, while a third (33%) favor Prince Charles.
Interest in the Royal Family and Upcoming Royal Wedding

Seven-in-ten Canadians (70%) report being “not too interested” or “not interested at all” in both the British Royal Family (70%) and the upcoming wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton (69%). Their wedding day—April 29, 2011—has been declared a national holiday in the United Kingdom. More than half of Canadians (58%) oppose taking the same course of action in Canada.

Analysis

The drop in support for Canada remaining a monarchy is not directly related to a rise in “republicanism.” The true cause of the severe fluctuation is the lack of interest in this issue, particularly among respondents aged 18 to 34. However, a gender gap is developing on this question. While women are divided, men favour having an elected head of state over a monarch by a 2-to-1 margin.
The survey also shows that fewer Canadians hold favourable views on several Royal Family members. However, despite the perceived lack of enthusiasm in the upcoming wedding, the proportion of respondents who express a favourable opinion of Kate Middleton increased by 16 points since July—placing her above Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.