Almost half of Canadians would prefer to have an elected head of state, while only one-in-five would keep the monarchy.
Vancouver, BC [March 1, 2022] – Only one-in-five Canadians express an outright preference for Canada to remain a monarchy, while almost half continue to yearn for an elected head of state, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national sample, only 21% of Canadians say that, thinking of Canada’s constitution, they would prefer for the country to remain a monarchy, down three points since a similar Research Co. poll conducted in February 2021 and the lowest level recorded in six separate surveys since 2009.
For the first time in 13 years, almost half of Canadians (49%, +4) express a preference for Canada to have an elected head of state—a proportion that rises to 55% among men, 51% among those aged 55 and over and 59% among Quebecers.
Canadians who voted for the Liberal Party and the New Democratic Party (NDP) in last year’s federal election are more likely to prefer having an elected head of state in Canada (each at 51%) than those who cast ballots for the Conservative Party (45%).
Over the past year, the views of Canadians on seven members of the Royal Family have worsened markedly. Queen Elizabeth II is regarded favourably by 64% of Canadians, down four points. The rating fell more dramatically for Prince Harry (50%, -14) and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (44%, -10).
About three-in-five Canadians hold positive views of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (60%, -4) and Prince William (58%, -9). As has been the case for the past four years, the lowest favourability numbers are posted by Prince Charles (35%, -6) and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (27%, -3).
Just over one third of Canadians (34%, -1) would like to see Prince William take over as king from Queen Elizabeth II, while fewer than one-in-five (17%, -8) would rather have Prince Charles—the first in line—as monarch.
“Since 2019, there has been a steady growth in the proportion of Canadians who, when asked about the future king, steer clear of both Prince Charles and Prince William,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “Four years ago, only 19% of Canadians envisioned a Canada without a monarch, but now 34% feel this way.”
The notion of Prince William as the next king is particularly popular in Atlantic Canada (39%), British Columbia (38%) and Saskatchewan and Manitoba (also 38%).
Among Canadians who express a preference for the continuation of the monarchy, Prince William is regarded as a superior option to Prince Charles (50% to 36%).
There was little movement on a question related to Canada’s future. Fewer than half of Canadians (48%, -1) believe the country will “definitely” or “probably” be a monarchy two decades from now, while 30% (-1) expect Canada to have an elected head of state by that time.
Methodology: Results are based on an online study conducted from February 18 to February 20, 2022, 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.
Find our data tables here and download the press release here.
For more information on this poll, please contact:
Mario Canseco, President, Research Co.
778.929.0490 [e] [email protected]