Part of the reluctance to debate a change in the system comes from the Constitution. An end to the British monarch’s role would need the unanimous consent of both houses of Parliament as well as all 10 provincial legislatures. Winning the lottery seems reasonable by comparison.

Views in Canada on individual royals vary. Various polls suggest that Queen Elizabeth still commands respect, even within Quebec, where there’s little support for the idea of a monarch.

Less of that sentiment has transferred to Prince Charles. When I followed him around during his visit to Canada in 2009, there was none of the excitement surrounding this weekend. (Although the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate, certainly drew crowds two years later.)

Whatever you think of Prince Charles becoming Canada’s king, however, doesn’t mean the system has been entirely without merit.