AHN Staff
Ottawa, Ontario (AHN) - The ongoing 11-day visit by British royal couple Prince Charles and Camilla has renewed debates in Canada about Ottawa's ties with the Crown. Such thoughts are not new to Canadians and to other members of the Commonwealth which desire to become a republic and officially sever ties with Britain.
Previous royal events have led to peaks and valleys on the monarch's popularity in Canada. The marriage of Charles and Diana saw a high in the Prince of Wales' popularity. Diana's untimely death caused a plunge in the royal family's popularity in Canada.
Recent surveys showed that even if the royal British family is relatively quiet and scandal-free, 53 percent of Canadians still want ties cut after the Queen's death. Another 60 percent stated the Queen and her family should no longer enjoy a formal role in Canadian society.
The changing Commonwealth attitude toward the Queen is reflected in a statement made by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd that Canberra will change its constitutional scenery in the future even if a decade ago 55 percent of Australians said in a referendum they do not want to become a republic.
The New Zealand Parliament is set to tackle a bill proposing changing the monarch as head of state, while Jamaica has initiated a change to make the nation also a republic.
On Sunday, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall attended a Remembrance Sunday service at the Christ Church Cathedral in Victoria, British Columbia. The royal couple had been in BC since Friday afternoon when they visited the province's legislature with British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell. They saw the Olympic Village in Vancouver and had dinner at the Government House on Saturday.
Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved
|
