Why Canada Loves the Queen

Having a Queen as head of state seems ludicrous, but for Canadians it makes us different from the U.S., which has long exhibited royal envy.

The Queen has made over 20 visits to Canada during her reign of nearly 60 years (in 2012), but this is only the third time she’s been in Canada during celebrations of Canada Day – which monarchyphiles prefer to call Dominion Day.

Inevitably with royal visits, debate ensues about whether the ancient institution is relevant any more, especially for a country like Canada, which politically stresses “equality” more than “freedom,” and pretends to shun elitism.

We haven’t yet reached the situation in Australia where debate seems constantly simmering on whether to dump the monarchy in favor of a republic. But every time they have a vote on the matter, the people choose to keep the monarchy.

Who knows how a similar vote in Canada would turn out? We have such a diverse population now, that links with Britain tend to weaken as time passes. Curiously, our military keeps the bonds strong. Our army is modeled on British traditions that have served the country well in past wars and missions.

The dispute over whether we in Canada should maintain the monarchy is self-evident, to me. Like most Canadians, royalty does mean much to me or affect my life, but it is such a benign and positive institution that there seems no reason to abandon it.

On the contrary, there are several reason why it should be maintained.

Granted, having a King or Queen as head of state seems ludicrous, but for Canadians it makes us distinct and different from the U.S., which rebelled against the British Crown in 1776, and in some ways has exhibited royal envy ever since.

Kings and queens are much more fashionable in the U.S. than here, and get star treatment. We in Canada tend to ho-hum about Royal visits, display mild curiosity and courtesy, and get on with our daily lives.

We’ve heard so much over the years about our identity being absorbed by U.S. culture – mostly on the bloody CBC and by academic elites – that you’d think the monarchy would be revered - if only as a chicken bone that would make us awkward for the U.S. to swallow.

Even though there’s no evidence the U.S. has designs on Canada, some of our citizens think we are constantly under siege. A better case can be made that it’s American culture that’s threatened by Canadians – Alanis Morissette, Shania Twain, Morley Safer, Jim Carrey, James Cameron, Mike Myers, Jason Bay, and so on.

The Queen, as Princess Elizabeth, made her first visit to Canada in 1951. I was a soldier in those days, and recall lining the street by Queen’s Park with rifle and fixed-bayonet to mark the occasion. These days, when soldiers occasionally parade in Toronto, they no long carry rifles.

As a journalist, covering royal tours, I was once appointed spokesman for the attending media, and was scheduled to be rewarded with royal cufflinks. But I fell into royal disrepute when I speculated that Prince Philip must be royally bored with cowboy hats, and wrote cheerfully about a drunken Haida Indian in B.C., paying unusual homage of his own while the Queen and Prince Philip tried to suppress their amusement. Oh well, the price of journalistic duty.

Whatever the fate of the monarchy, I hope Canada retains it – even if Prince Charles someday becomes King, which will set of a spate of more debate.