Fewer than a quarter of Canadians believe that Charles should be the King in the wake of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, a new poll has found.
Charles, the eldest son of the Queen, formerly known as the Prince of Wales, immediately succeeded his mother as the nation's monarch upon his mother's death at Balmoral, Scotland, on 8 September.
He was formally proclaimed King in a ceremony at St James’s Palace in London on Saturday, prompting the Commonwealth realms — Canada, New Zealand and Australia to declare him the head of the state.
“We have every confidence that His Majesty will be very much present in the life of our country as was his mother,” said Dominic LeBlanc, minister of intergovernmental affairs of Canada.
A new survey conducted by Pollara Strategic Insights found that just 24 per cent of those polled want to see the face of King Charles III on their coins and bills, while 56 per cent oppose the move.
The survey was conducted with 1,325 people across Canada using an online panel.
It found that only 35 per cent of Canadians want the country to remain a constitutional monarchy with Charles as the head of the state. Nearly 44 per cent said they wanted to end the connection to the British Crown, while 21 per cent of people said they weren't sure.
The responders in Quebec were the most opposed to remaining a constitutional monarchy with 64 per cent voting against it.
“There is still a public fascination with the monarchy, but the emotional linkage appears to be fraying,” said Dan Arnold, Pollara’s chief strategy officer.
According to the poll, 54 per cent of respondents aged 18 to 34 said the country should no longer be a constitutional monarchy, with just 22 per cent in that age group, suggesting it should.
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday announced 19 September as a holiday so that federal employees can mourn the Queen on the day of her funeral. Mr Trudeau along with nearly 500 other foreign dignitaries will arrive in London to attend the Queen’s funeral service on Monday.
