Oath to King made optional in Quebec
POLITICIANS in the Canadian province of Quebec will no longer have to take an oath of allegiance to the King, in a further blow to the influence of the Crown across the Commonwealth.
A law has been passed in the province’s legislature making the oath optional for its members.
It amends the Canadian Constitution Act of 1867 to exempt Quebec from the Oath of Allegiance. The oath has previ- ously been a requirement for members of provincial legislatures across Canada.
A growing number of Commonwealth countries are taking steps to remove the British monarch as their head of state. Canadian politicians said the oath did not reflect the country’s modern aspirations.
Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, leader of the separatist Parti Quebecois, said: “This is one more step towards the emancipation of the Quebec people from British colonialism.”
In November 2021 Barbados removed the late Queen as its head of state, with six more Caribbean countries planning to follow suit. In October, Canada’s federal parliamentarians overwhelmingly voted no to severing ties with the Crown. Opinion polls suggest just over half of Canadians want to cut ties.
The Quebec bill was introduced after the ascension of King Charles, when three politicians refused to swear allegiance. Le Journal de Montréal last week anticipated the change in the law with the headline: “Bye bye Charles III”. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau could challenge the new law in court, or a private citizen could be given permission by the courts to bring a challenge.
In a poll in September, just over half of Canadians (54 per cent) agreed (20 per cent strongly/33 per cent somewhat) that Canada should end its formal ties to the monarchy.
Political and public figures were last night reported as urging the Duke and Duchess of Sussex not to attend the Coronation due to their Netflix series.
Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith, party veteran David Mellor, Lady Antonia Fraser, the historian and author and historian Lord Andrew Roberts were among those opposed to the couple being at the May 6 ceremony.