Majority of British Columbians prefer Canada to remain part of British monarchy

Though Canada is a sovereign nation, it only achieved full independence in 1982 and even still, our nation has some ties to the United Kingdom. 

Technically, Canada is a “constitutional monarchy” with King Charles III as the head of state, or King of Canada, but his role is largely ceremonial at this point in the nation’s history. 

This constitutional monarchy and the blurred lines between independence and colonial power has always been a point of contention in Canada. Many Canadians want to sever ties with the UK completely, while others love and admire our British monarchs. 

However, according to a recent poll by BC-based Research Co., the majority of British Columbians say they would prefer for things to remain as they are. 

The poll found that 37% of BC respondents would like to remain a constitutional monarchy, while 27% say they would prefer to cut ties and have our own official head of state. Meanwhile, 20% said they simply did not care either way and 15% indicated they were unsure. 

Despite BC respondents’ preferences, across Canada as a whole, sentiments towards the monarchy are much different. 

When all of Canada was faced with the same question, the majority at 33% said they would like to sever relations with the UK, while 29% would like to remain a monarchy, 23% did not care and 15% were unsure. 

The below graph illustrates Canadians’ sentiment towards breaking free of the constitutional monarchy throughout the years:

When it comes to how British Columbians view each specific royal in the Royal Family, some are looked upon more favourably than others. 

Catherine, Princess of Wales, formerly Kate Middleton, is the most adored with 69% of BC respondents looking favourably on her and her husband, William, Prince of Wales was the second most adored with 68% looking favourably upon him. 

Next, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex had 51% of British Columbians thinking well of him, while his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, formerly Meghan Markle, had only 39% looking favourably upon her. 

Harry and Meghan spent an extended period of time in BC while hiding from British press and tabloids back in late 2019, and have since returned for weekend trips. 

As for King Charles III himself, only 47% of British Columbian respondents look favourably upon him. His wife, Queen Consort Camilla is the least liked royal with just 28% looking well upon her. 

Looking ahead to the future, it seems most British Columbians, at 41%, believe that Canada will be rid of the monarchy entirely 20 years down the road, while  only 15% think we will remain a constitutional monarchy. 

What do you think about the poll’s findings? Do you want Canada to be a constitutional monarchy? 

Let us know in the comments!