In an interview with the BBC, Justin Trudeau said Canada’s system offers ‘extraordinary stability’.
Image source, Getty ImagesPrime Minister Justin Trudeau said he doesn’t see Canada breaking ties with the British Crown anytime soon.
The “complexities” of moving away from a constitutional monarchy are not what “Canadians are overly taken up with right now”, he told the BBC.
He added he appreciates the “steadiness” of the current system of government.
His remarks come as some debate the future of the monarchy in Canada in light of Queen Elizabeth II’s death.
“There’s a nice balance to the system we have that I think is going to continue to serve Canadians extraordinarily well,” Mr Trudeau told the BBC’s Today programme.
In Canada, the monarch – now King Charles – is the head of state. The monarchy serves a mainly symbolic role, with the power to govern entrusted to the Canadian government.
Changing the current system would need approval from both the House of Commons and the Senate in parliament, as well as the unanimous consent of all 10 provinces.
The prime minister and his wife, Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau, are in London on Monday to attend the Queen’s funeral.
They travelled along with Governor General Mary Simon, who represents the Crown in Canada, and a large delegation that includes former prime minsters, recipients of the Order of Canada – the second-highest civilian honour in the country – and indigenous leaders.
Mr Trudeau also reflected on his first time meeting the Queen as a child, when his father, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was prime minister.
“I was seven years old and I had to rush back from school to meet her,” he told the BBC, recalling how he was he had to keep his shoes scrubbed for the event.
“Of course I got them all muddy, so I remember just before running home having to go into the school washroom with a buddy of mine, cleaning off my shoes so I could have clean shoes for meeting the Queen,” he said.
It was an important moment, he added, even in a prime ministerial household that saw many world leaders walk through its doors.
“I just remember looking up at her back then and and having her being just lovely and thoughtful and gracious with me even even at that point,” Mr Trudeau said.