Kiss Me Kate:
Majority (55%, + 12) of Canadians Think Nuptials Between Prince William and Kate Middleton Should Put William, Not Charles on the Royal Throne

Toronto, ON - Canadians have given their blessing to the pending nuptials between Prince William and Kate Middleton in a very profound way, according to a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted exclusively for Postmedia News and Global Television. On the heels of the announcement of the royal wedding, which will be held on April 29 at Westminster Abbey, a majority (55%) of Canadians now believe that `Prince Charles should skip his place in line for the throne as King and instead pass the reign of King on to his son Prince William', a significant increase of 12 points over one year ago prior to the visit of Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, to Canada.

Conversely, while just one year ago nearly six in ten (57%) thought that Prince Charles should ascend the throne when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is no longer able to reign, the proportion that believes he should reign as King has now dropped to 45% in the wake of the announcement of the royal wedding between his eldest son and the "commoner" Kate Middleton. Only in Alberta does a majority (54%) still believe that Prince Charles should not skip his place in line for the throne.

While Canadians appear to endorse Prince William as the next King of England, attitudes towards the monarchy, in general, appear to only be slightly more favourable when compared to an identical poll conducted earlier this year prior to the arrival of Her Majesty's visit to Canada, and many Canadians would still like to cut formal ties to the monarchy. Much attention and pressure has been placed on the young Prince and his fiancйe to ensure the future of the monarchy.

A slim majority (53%) of Canadians still `agree' (25% strongly/27% somewhat) that `when Queen Elizabeth's reign ends, Canada should end its formal ties to the British monarchy' (down 5 points), and six in ten (61%) `agree' (30% strongly/31% somewhat) that `the Queen and the Royal Family should not have any formal role in Canadian society' (down 4 points).

Furthermore, a majority (53%) `agrees' (23% strongly/30% somewhat) that `the constitutional monarchy is outdated and would prefer a republic system of government with an elected head of state, like they do in the United States' (down 1 point). Nearly six in ten (56%) `agree' (22% strongly/34% somewhat) that `Canada's head of state should be the Governor General, not the Queen' (down 6 points), despite the fact that most (83%) `agree' that `Queen Elizabeth has done a good job in her role as monarch' (up 10 points).

Six in ten (57%) Canadians `agree' (22% strongly/35% somewhat) that `the constitutional monarchy helps to define Canadian identity and should continue to be our form of government' (up 4 points). However, most (75%) `agree' (41% strongly/34% somewhat) that `Canada's head of state should live in Canada' (down 8 points).

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between November 18 to 22, 2010, on behalf of Postmedia News and Global Television. For this survey, a sample of 1,016 adults from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of this size and a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of +/-3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what the results would have been had the entire population of adults in Canada been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
John Wright
Senior Vice President
Ipsos Reid Public Affairs
(416) 324-2002
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid

Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

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Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals. Ipsos helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and responses of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world.

Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media. They measure public opinion around the globe. Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, modeling, and consulting. Ipsos has a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies. The company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded since 1999. In 2009, Ipsos generated global revenues of e943.7 million ($1.33 billion U.S.).

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