Royal Family support by Canadians waning, poll indicates

Many Canadians arelosing interest in the happenings at Buckingham Palace, and don't like the idea of Prince Charles taking over after Queen Elizabeth dies, a new poll released on Victoria Dayindicates.

"Just fewer than fourin10 favour abolishing monarchy in Canada upon the death of the Queen," Forum Research saysin a release Monday, based on thepoll of nearly 1,300 Canadians.

Fifty-four per cent of the 1,286polleddon't want to see Charles on the throne afterhis mother dies.

I think it's a part of our national identity and it represents all of Canada and Canada's history.-Darcie von Axelsteirna,Manitoba chair,Monarchist League of Canada

While about 45 per cent of thosepolled were against distancing the nation from its royal roots, men (44 per cent), the rich (46 per cent of those earning $80 to $100,000 annually),Quebecers(71 per cent),NDPers(49 per cent), francophones(72 per cent)and moms with kids under age 18 (46 per cent)think severing those ties is just what Canada needs.

About 16 per cent of respondents didn't have an opinion either way, Forum Researchsaid.

The results in some ways mirror numbers from a poll taken in 2013 following the birth of Prince George to Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, and husband Prince William.Thirty-seven per cent of Canadians polled were armchairmonarchy abolitionists back then, with 48 per cent opposed.

"These measures appear to be static across two years, but you must remember that we polled immediately after a royal birth each time.It is clear there are a substantial number of people who, while they support the monarchy in Canada, don't necessarily support the heir apparent,"Forum Research presidentLorneBozinoffsaid in a release.

Williamand his wife, the Duchessof Cambridge,became parents again last month,to a girl, namedCharlotte Elizabeth Diana.

'I believe in the monarch'

Despite the latest poll's results,the monarchy has its fair share of Canadian fans.

The royals have always been popular with people such as Jo-Anne Giesbrecht, who grew up with Elizabeth as their Queen.

"I believe in the monarch. I've always believed in it," she said, showing off her "royal room" filled with memorabilia.

"I think they should be as relevant as they always have been."

But a new generation, led by Prince William, is attracting a new following, says Belinda Bigold, owner of High Tea Bakery in Winnipeg.

Three weeks after Princess Charlotte was born, she's still trying to keep up with the orders ofmini imperial cookies decorated with baby pink crowns.

"It's the diehard royals with their tea parties, but all the ladies who are pregnant or just had babies, now you have the little crowns at their baby showers," she said.

"Will and Kate have really brought back the popularity. Now she wears a dress and it sells out in 10 seconds, it's the same thing with the babies. They've brought in a whole new audience of younger people."

49% of youth against monarchy

TheForum Researchpoll tells a slightly different story.

Forty-nineper cent of young people in the poll werein favour of abolishing the monarchy in Canada.

"How you ask the question changes everything," said J.J. McCullough, a political commentator and the B.C. spokesmanfor Citizens for a Canadian Republic.

"Should Canada abolish the monarchy? Should Canada cut ties to the British Royal Family? That gets a very different response from: Should Canada have a Canadian citizen living in Canada as head of state of Canada?"

A whopping 73 per cent of Forum Research poll voters think Canada's head of state should be Canadianborn and reside in Canada.

McCullough and his group wants to see Canada transition from a constitutional monarchy with a foreign monarch as head of state to a democratic republican system with a Canadian resident as head of state.

"It seems preposterous that a 21st-century, independent democratic country like Canada still has a foreign monarch, our colonial master as our nominal head of state," he said."It's confusing and humiliating that Canada still has to pay deference to a monarch across the sea."

He points to countries like Germany and India as examples,where there's a figurehead president who's either elected directly by the peopleor chosen by parliament.

"We'll always have our history as a British colony but at some point, you evolve out of this in the same way that children moving out of the parents' basement, countries move out of the nestof the colonial mother hen and I think that's the point Canada is at now," McCullough said.

Monarchy central to constitution

However, it wouldn't be easy to replace the monarchy, said Philippe Lagass, associate professor of public and international affairs at the University of Ottawa.

The important thing to rememberis that there's a vast difference between the Royal Family and the legal office of the Crown.

"Whatever you think of the people that surround it, as an institution, it's fairly central to the constitution," Lagasssaid.

"So it wouldn't be impossible to get rid of but would require some legal gymnastics especially if you wanted to do it without launching us into a constitutional amending procedure."

Opening the Constitution would create a whole other set of problems. Different provincesand groups like First Nations would want to renegotiate their roles in the confederation.

Meanwhile, the popularity of the royals actually gives the republicans ammunition.

"Having the celebrity aspect means they can say, 'This is all hogwash, it's all meaningless, it's empty,'" he said.

Darcie von Axelsteirna,Manitoba chairman ofthe Monarchist League of Canada, isa strong supporter of keeping the Queenand future kingas Canada's head of state.

"I think it's apart of our national identity and it represents all of Canada and Canada's history. It's non-political, non-partisan and a symbol for everyone in Canada," she said, adding she's not worried about the monarchy's future in Canada.

"The monarchy is a very old institution but it's not a stationary one. It's always changing. It's existed for over 1,000 years and that's an example of how adaptable it is."