It has been a long journey since Queen Elizabeth ascended to the throne in 1952. Britain and the Commonwealth look very different today than they did when she was a young woman first coming to grips with her new role as monarch. Despite the large-scale changes that have taken place during her reign, one thing has endured: the Queen remains, by and large, an immensely popular figure.
She is personally beloved and internationally respected, even as republican sentiments continue to grow across the Commonwealth. Recent polls taken in Australia and Canada show larger numbers desire to remove the British monarch as head of state than ever before. In Canada support to remain a constitutional monarchy has sunk to a mere 26 per cent among those polled. Queen Elizabeth’s personal popularity, however, is much higher, with a 63 per cent favourability rating.
