PENINSULA POLL BACKGROUNDER: Newlywed royals coming to Canada, and Canadians favor keeping monarchy

  • Peninsula Daily News news sources
  • Wednesday, June 29, 2011 12:01am
  • News

Peninsula Daily News

news sources

The honeymooning British royals, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge — better known as Prince William and Princess Kate — are about to make their first foreign trip as husband and wife.

Or, if you will, future king and queen.

And Canadians, for whom the royals also reign, appear to be happy with the couple and the prospects of a healthy and popular monarchy led by the son of the late Princess Diana.

On the eve of Will and Kate’s Canadian debut, an Ipsos Reid poll conducted exclusively for Postmedia News and Global TV and published in the Victoria Times-Colonist on Tuesday revealed that two-thirds of Canadians agree that the couple will “keep the monarchy relevant” in Canada.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

A majority (52 percent) of Canadians now disagree that when Queen Elizabeth II’s reign ends, “Canada should end its formal ties to the British monarchy” — a sentiment that tumbled 10 points from where it stood a year ago, just before the queen visited.

“We now have a majority who say, ‘Let’s keep them around,’” says Sean Simpson, associate vice-president of Ipsos.

“And you have to attribute it to [Will and Kate] because nothing else has changed. I think Canadians are seeing the future of the monarchy and they like what they see enough to keep it around.”

Nationally, a majority of Canadians (55 percent) say they’re excited that Will and Kate are touring Canada, and 5 percent say they plan to go see the couple in person — which could amount to 1.25 million royal pilgrims north of the U.S border.

The duke and duchess will tour Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Charlottetown and Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Yellowknife and Calgary between Thursday and July 8.

They’ll skip Victoria and Vancouver, B.C., but they’ll be in the national capital of Ottawa for Canada Day on Friday, which commemorates the 19th century uniting of three provinces into the country of Canada under the British Empire, then Canada’s full independence from the U.K. in 1982.

There’s one rub: Although 51 percent of French-speaking Quebecers admitted in the poll that they’re excited the English newlyweds are visiting, more than two-thirds (67 percent) are in favor of severing Canada’s ties with the British monarchy.

That’s compared with 42 percent in the rest of Canada — a 25-point difference of opinion Simpson calls “massive.”

“It’s really two different stories,” he says. “When you remove Quebec from the equation, it’s really quite strong support to keep the monarchy.”

The poll results also reveal that a majority (54 percent) of Canadians thinks Prince Charles, 63, should skip his place in line so that his son, Prince William, can assume the throne.

At the same time, Queen Elizabeth II, Charles’ mother and William’s grandmother, enjoys approval ratings most politicians would give up their expense accounts for: 81 percent of Canadians agree that she’s done a good job in her role as monarch — up eight points from a year ago.

“We’ve had Queen Elizabeth sitting on the throne for over half a century now, and it’s great and Canadians agree that she’s done her job,” says Simpson.

“There’s a sense that we can modernize the institution through William and Kate and keep it relevant and exciting and worthwhile. It’s bringing the monarchy into the 21st century.”

The poll gathered opinions from 1,016 Canadian adults between June 20 and 27, and the results are considered accurate within 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

More in News

Coast Guard searching for three missing people

Vessel located Thursday after it was overdue Wednesday evening

AAUW, foundation selected for leadership award

The American Association of University Women and the University Women’s… Continue reading

Jason Squire, manager of the Rose Theatre in Port Townsend, shows off the new $150,000 Barco SP4K laser projector installed last month. The projector, one of three that the movie house needs for each of its screens, replaces an aging one that failed in June 2004, necessitating a GoFundMe drive for the owners, George Marie and Michael D’Alessandro, to help pay for a new one. More than $105,000 was raised from 777 donors. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
New projector

Jason Squire, manager of the Rose Theatre in Port Townsend, shows off… Continue reading

Clallam awards funds to address homelessness

Funding cycle to run through June 2027

Port Angeles commissions intersection control study

City council approves two new vehicle purchases

East Jefferson Fire Rescue Chief Bret Black addresses a group of attendees at the Port Ludlow fire department on Wednesday. From left to right are Smokey Bear, Jefferson County Commissioner Heidi Eisenhour, Black, Jesse Duvall, the state Department of National Resources’ Community Resilience coordinator, and EJFR Community Risk Manager Robert Wittenberg. (Elijah Sussman/Peninsula Daily News)
East Jefferson department offers free wildfire mitigation visits

Forecasts predict high-risk summer; neighborhoods prepare

Forum to speak about local news

Conversation slated Tuesday at Field Hall

Mason Combs is 4 feet, 3 inches tall and has red hair, according to the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office. (Clallam County Sheriff’s Office)
Child located after agencies partner on search

A 10-year-old boy who had been missing since Tuesday has… Continue reading

Sequim research lab testing ways to use seaweed, resources

PNNL is only Department of Energy lab with marine facilities

Bonnie Obremski, front left, substitute garden manager, and volunteers Susan Savelle, yellow visor, Sarah Maloy, left rear, Paulette De Llario, right rear, and Mary Claire Hunt, rear, helped clean up the Salish Coast Production Garden at the Salish Elementary School in Port Townsend on Saturday. The garden produced more than 5,000 pounds of produce used for the school lunches last year and farmers are aiming for 7,000 pounds in 2025. Hunt will be honored as a community health hero by the Jefferson County Public Health department for her efforts in bringing together farmers and gardeners who donate their crops to the Jefferson County food bank with a presentation on Thursday at the Board of Jefferson County Commissioners’ chambers at the Jefferson County Courthouse. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
Garden cleanup

Bonnie Obremski, front left, substitute garden manager, and volunteers Susan Savelle, yellow… Continue reading

Foundation purchases hospital equipment

Linear accelerator to be installed in May

Port Townsend updated on city’s workplan

Forty-five of 61 projects on track, city manager says