Prince Charles' crusade to save British monarchy in sceptical Canada
3 Nov 2009, 1521 Hrs

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London, November 3 Prince Charles was said to be on a crusade to re-boost faith in British monarchy as he took his wife Camilla on her first tour of Canada.

The Royal allegedly hopes to convince sceptical Canadians to accept his better half as their next Queen amid opinion polls that suggested most of the public there was against having a British monarch as their head of state.

Prince Charles and Camilla, who will legally become Canada's Queen if her husband becomes King, are expected to meet crowd during their tour of 12 cities in 11 days, reports the Daily Express.

Robert Finch, chairman of the Monarchist League of Canada said: "I believe this visit is huge in terms of significance - for Charles and for the monarchy. It is an opportunity for Canadians to get reacquainted with their future King and head of state and also to get to know the Duchess a bit more."

But others are less convinced that the visit would further any interest amongst ordinary Canadians.

Tom Freda, national director of Citizens for a Canadian Republic, said: "For the past several years, national public opinion polls have consistently shown far lower popularity for Prince Charles than the Queen and, in general, a huge preference for ending Canada's constitutional connection to the monarchy at the end of the Queen's reign.

"As far as their reception here goes, the debate about the relevance of the monarchy always reaches a fever pitch during royal visits. We expect that to be the case this time - in both English-speaking and French-speaking Canada," he added.

According to one poll, only one in five Canadians would step out to see the couple even if they were nearby.

A report accompanying the poll concluded: "The monarchy in Canada faces the threat of an ebbing tide. The tide's recess is not caused by anger, resentment or republican ideology but by disinterest.

"In 2009 Canadian's indifference is the monarchy's biggest challenge. There is a heavy fog of apathy shrouding the nstitution as a whole." (ANI)

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