The proportion of Canadians who express a wish to no longer have a monarch has reached the highest level recorded in the past 12 years, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national sample, 45% of Canadians say that, thinking of Canada’s constitution, they would prefer to have an elected head of state, up 13 points since a similar Research Co. poll conducted in February 2020.
One-in-four Canadians (24%, -3) would rather see Canada remaining a monarchy, while 19% (-9) do not care either way and 13% (=) are undecided.
“In four previous national surveys conducted from 2009 to 2020 using this same question, support for an elected head of state had never surpassed the 40% mark across Canada,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “Men (51%), Canadians aged 35-to-54 (46%), Quebecers (57%) and Liberal Party voters in 2019 (50%) are more likely to be in favour of having an elected head of state in the country.”
When asked about who should succeed Queen Elizabeth II after she dies or abdicates, more than a third of Canadians (35%, =) select Prince William to ascend the throne, while 22% (-3) would prefer to see Prince Charles—the first in line—as monarch.
Among Canadians who would prefer for the monarchy to continue, Prince William is the preferred future King over Prince Charles (47% to 39%).
Just under half of Canadians (49%, -3) think Canada will “definitely” or “probably” be a monarchy two decades from now, while 31% (+4) believe the country will have an elected head of state by 2041.
Residents of Ontario (53%) and Atlantic Canada (51%) are more likely to predict that Canadians will be able to elect a head of state in the next twenty years than their counterparts in Alberta (49%), British Columbia (48%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (also 48%) and Quebec (44%).
Compared to 2020, there is little fluctuation in the perceptions of Canadians on selected members of the Royal Family. Seven-in-ten (70%, +1) hold a favourable view of Queen Elizabeth II, and similarly high proportions feel the same way about Prince William (67%, +4) and Prince Harry (66%, +2).
A majority of Canadians have a favourable opinion of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (64%, =), Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (54%, -2) and Prince Philip (51%, +3).
As has been the case for the past three years, the lowest favourability ratings on this question are posted by Prince Charles (41%, -3) and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (30%, -2).
Methodology
Results are based on an online study conducted from February 21 to February 23, 2021, among 1,000 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.1 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.
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