God save the Queen!

That famous cheer will ring out across England this weekend as the country stages massive Diamond Jubilee celebrations marking Queen Elizabeth’s 60 years on the throne.

In Canada, many of us will watch the televised festivities as a gesture of affection — even loyalty in some cases — for the woman who has served with distinction as the Queen of Canada.

For most of her reign, the Queen has been a symbol of stability, dedication and continuity.

But with her reign nearing an end, the time is right for Canadians to start the process of cutting our formal ties to the British monarchy, an outmoded institution that dates back to the days when Canada was a British colony.

It’s obvious why we need to begin the process now, rather than after the Queen is no longer on the throne.

When the Queen dies, her successor, likely Prince Charles, will be proclaimed King of Canada within hours — not days, weeks or months later. That’s what happened when Elizabeth succeeded her father, King George VI, when he died on Feb. 6, 1952.

Once that occurs, Canada will be stuck with yet another foreign monarch as our head of state, possibly for decades.

In the 21st century, it is unfathomable that Canada, a modern, multicultural nation that champions diversity, still tolerates having a foreign queen or king as its head of state.

It’s especially true when you realize that no Canadian will be our next head of state, no Catholic, no Jew, no Muslim, no woman and definitely no one who isn’t a member of the Church of England. In fact, Canada is one of only a handful of countries that has absolutely no voice in who will be its next head of state.

At the same time, we still force new citizens to swear or affirm loyalty to the Queen and her heirs and have her face adorn our coins. And Canadian women are expected to curtsey — a ridiculous custom — whenever they are introduced formally to her.

The reality is that the monarchy in modern-day Canada has been reduced to little more than a royal soap opera, a “Royal Coronation Street” if you like. Princes and princesses are revered and treated like pop-culture celebrities, with adoring fans following their ups and downs as they do with Kim Kardashian or Justin Bieber, although I bet Bieber would attract a far larger crowd anywhere in Canada than the Queen or the next king.

Over the years, small efforts to rid us of the monarchy have all faltered, including a bid last January by the federal Liberal party’s youth wing, which proposed a policy resolution for an elected head of state.

Now, however, with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee coming to an end, it’s the perfect time to look seriously at how best to cut our colonial ties.

Michael Bliss, a retired University of Toronto history professor, wrote recently that “a government seriously in tune with the long-term evolution of the country would be quietly laying the groundwork for a dignified phasing out of the monarchy, the last relic of our colonialism.”

A three-step process should be considered.

First, Ottawa should hold a national referendum on a Yes-or-No question: “Should Canada sever ties with the British monarchy?” A simple majority would be sufficient to proceed further.

Second, if the answer is yes, a federal commission (please don’t call it a “royal commission”) should examine how we could select a head of state. The commission, with a one-year mandate, could be appointed jointly by the prime minister and provincial premiers. The commission could look at various models for choosing a head of state, such as direct election or appointment by the federal Parliament.

Third, a second referendum would be held on the commission’s top two recommended methods of choosing the next head of state.

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The entire process, including the formality of each province agreeing to the necessary constitutional amendments, should take just two years.

Once completed, Ottawa could delay any formal severing of ties until the Queen died. That would show respect for the Queen, who has served us graciously — and save us from scraping and bowing to the next King of Canada.

Bob Hepburn’s column appears Thursday. bhepburn@thestar.ca