The majority of Canadians said they believe new citizens should not have to swear an oath of allegiance to the Queen, according to a Leger poll for the Association for Canadian Studies published on Tuesday. .“If you ask Canadians about their identity, few would mention the monarchy,” said Association for Canadian Studies president, Jack Jedwab. .The poll provided to The Canadian Press suggested 56% of respondents disagreed with swearing allegiance to the Queen. .New Canadians have to swear an oath to the monarchy at Canadian citizenship ceremonies, pledging to “be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, her heirs and successors.” .The poll said 58% of Canadians have a positive opinion about the Queen. It said 28% of respondents had a negative view of her. .Canadians were evenly divided — 40% positive and 40% negative — in their opinion about the monarchy in general, according to the poll. .The poll asked whether, “as a Canadian, we should all agree to be faithful and bear true allegiance” to the Queen and her heirs. .Respondents who were very favourable toward the monarchy were more likely to approve of pledging allegiance..Opposition was stronger among Canadians aged 18 to 34 than those older than 55. It said almost three-quarters of people living in Quebec opposed the oath, compared to almost half in Alberta. .Canada is a constitutional monarchy, with the Queen as the head of state. She is represented by Governor General Mary Simon at the federal level and by lieutenant governors in the provinces. .Any change to the position of the Queen or her representatives in Canada would need unanimous consent from the House of Commons, Senate, and provincial legislatures. .Taking an oath of citizenship is the final step in becoming a Canadian citizen. Citizenship ceremonies take place across Canada, with special events on Canada Day. .A poll done by Angus Reid in April showed most Canadians felt it was time to end ties with England..About 51% said the monarchy should not continue in coming generations, according to the poll. .The other half are split, with 26% saying British ties should remain and 24% remaining unsure..The latest poll was conducted online with 2,118 people in June. No margin of error was assigned because online panels are not considered true random samples.
