Geoff Russ: King Charles III belongs on the $20 bill

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King Charles III will be on Canada’s new $20 banknote, unveiled just days before the fourth anniversary of the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Next February, the notes will enter circulation, and Canadian republicans will have to seethe and stare into the face of the sovereign as they withdraw cash.  

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Instead of spending months recovering from the sight, they might try to explain how abolishing the monarchy would make Canada a better country. We already have a (nominally) accountable government, political independence, and a firm constitutional order that is not threatened by turnover in government. 

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Canadian republicans want to replace something demonstrably Canadian with something they think is more modern and “inclusive,” at least in theory. Their soiled explanation is that the Crown is somehow opposed to democracy or an impediment to Canadian autonomy. That flies in the face of Canadian history, which has produced a very robust democratic culture and political system under the Crown, not outside it. 

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Electing the head of state is not an evolution, but a choice, and one that is unlikely to be made by any Canadian government in the near future or perhaps even the far future. It is not as if abolishing the monarchy would complete some sort of silly fantasy of democratic maturity. 

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Look at the existing monarchies in the West, and what do you find? There are Australia, Britain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. All of these parliamentary monarchies rank among the world’s freest and most stable countries. Their records of democratic endurance speak for themselves. They are not awkward outliers from some simplistic theory in which republicanism represents progress. 

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Russia and Iran are republics, and nearly all of Africa is as well. Every South American state is a republic, every one of them has “no kings,” yet the continent has hardly anything to brag about when it comes to democracy or stability. They are breathing rebuttals to the idea that becoming a republic is itself an accomplishment. 

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There is great value in keeping the country’s highest constitutional office away from ugly electoral mudslinging. There is no need to add another partisan contest to divide Canadians and make them bitter. We need only do that as much as is necessary. The prime minister should not embody Canada, and the Westminster system is very good at keeping the office of head of state away from ambitious politicians who dislike restraints on their power. 

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There is cultural continuity in Canada’s Crown too. A grandfather and grandson can recognize the same Crown — and, in Elizabeth II’s time, the same monarch — without voting for the same political party. These public symbols are shared across living generations and with generations now gone. Such political and cultural common ground is valuable, and countries are better off when they can offer more of it without attaching it to the latest election campaign.