Canadian province of Quebec ends mandatory oath to King Charles for elected officials

The Canadian province of Quebec has passed a law ending a requirement for elected officials to take an oath to Britain’s King Charles and agreeing to make such a show of fealty optional. 73-year-old Charles became king of the United Kingdom and the head of state of 14 other nations, including Canada, when his mother, Queen Elizabeth passed away in September.

There have previously been calls to change the oath in the province. But the queen’s death, combined with pressure from the Parti Quebecois (PQ) and Quebec solidaire – two political parties that back Quebec’s independence from Canada – have cast a spotlight on making it optional.

Taking to Twitter, PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon termed it a beautiful moment for Quebec democracy. He said, it is another step toward the emancipation of the Quebec people from British colonialism.